Of Soul and Steel
by Artaem
Summary: [Mass Effect] [Self Insert] "I didn't want to be here, but the place I did want no longer existed. This will be my new purpose, my new reason to live. And I can't fail again" My attempt at fan-fiction. More soon.
1. Darker Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. At all.**

_A/N: What is up guys, I'm going to be writing the first few chapters of this story, and if there is any interest (at all), I shall continue it. Keep in mind that this is my first story, so the usual problems of new writers will most likely apply. I'll correct any errors if they are pointed out to me. With that, enjoy._

* * *

_Detroit, Michigan._

_January 21st, 2013. 7:05 A.M._

The day starts as it usually does for me, an unreasonable migraine and the sounds of early morning traffic on the streets below my apartment. Well, I say my apartment because I clean it and live in it more than my mother, but her name's on the lease. A description and backstory would be nice right about now I guess.

* * *

My name is Cory Weston. An auspicious name I know, but I didn't have much choice in the matter at the time. I stand 5' 11", and weigh about 160 pounds. Black hair, blue eyes that look gray from afar. I'm fifteen years old, but hit my growth spurt pretty early on, and look older for it. My outfits usually consist of plain, clean clothing with muted colors.

My life has always seemed like a bad joke. Between my twisted, man-chasing mother, and the men she managed to latch onto, I never had much of a reference when it came to being a good human being. Despite that, I've always tried to do what was right. It hasn't been easy, but I've more or less raised myself. No other family that I know of, beyond estranged aunts and uncles in other states. So, growing up it's just been the three of us: me, my mother, and her bullshit, which takes on a life of it's own.

Looking at other families has always made me jealous. I wonder what it's like to be apart of a normal, functional family, not having to wonder if you're going to be evicted because your parent can't be depended on to keep their job. I know that she has her side of the story, but I can't help but resent her for it. As for my father, I have no idea. No matter how much I ask, I've never gotten a straight answer as to his identity, or his whereabouts. Then again, my mother knows if I knew who he was, I'd probably run off to live with him. The only reason I haven't left already is because my mother lets me do pretty much as I please, though it's more neglect on her part than being nice to me.

* * *

Back to the story at hand.

I slowly get up from my bed, rolling my neck to ease the muscles back into action as I take a look at my room. Nothing special, a desk with some schoolwork and textbooks on it, posters of various video games and bands lining the walls. I had a decent gaming setup at one point, Playstation 3 and a 32-inch T.V., but that was long gone to some small pawn shop in New Center. I was told I'd get it back once my mother got some money together, but that was over a month ago, so there was no getting it back. I think the most pain-in-the-ass part was I had finally gotten the Mass Effect trilogy after scraping some money together helping some neighbors in an adjacent apartment move out. I had gotten into Mass Effect 3, Watching as a giant, malevolent squid was swallowed up by the Tuchanka sands, before powering down for the night. The next day, my system, games, and T.V. were "appropriated" to help pay our power bill. Utter blasphemy in my eyes, but my protests went ignored, and have continued to be over the last month in terms of getting a new system. Merry f'ing Christmas.

I stand up and make my way to the bathroom for my usual routine, showering and the like. Stopping at my mother's door, I hear the tell-tale snoring of her latest man-friend, Bill. I completely detest the man; while usually amicable sober, he can get nasty in the blink of an eye drunk. The bruises I've seen on my mother's arms from where he's grabbed her attest to that. But a man standing at 6' 2", 250 pounds of mostly muscle is a bit much for me to deal with. I dress and continue to the kitchen after, grabbing a cereal bar and putting my hoodie on before heading out the door, not willing to deal with the two people in my life who destroy any sense of cheer I have without even trying. Not that there has been much of that for me in the past month.

On December 19th, my lanky best friend and one of two people in the world with which I'd trust with anything, Alex Wolfwood (yes, Wolfwood, you read right) disappeared. He was declared a runaway, coming from an even more broken home than my own, but I knew that he wouldn't have taken off without saying something to me. Thus, I did looking of my own, and found out that none of his other friends knew where he went either, which further cemented my feeling he didn't leave of his own volition. But without anything to go on, there wasn't anything I could do. This had me walking in the morning cold towards the house of the only other person I trust, Ana Richards.

We've been going out for about eight months, getting into the trouble that teenagers do, but I know in my heart that I love her. We grew close by growing up in similar circumstances. But where my mother simply doesn't really care about me, her single father strikes out at her at the slightest provocation. We've learned to rely on each other for emotional support, but she, understandably, deals with major depression. Lately, however, she's been cheerful, though she hasn't told me why. I've taken it as a good sign regardless.

I reach her house fifteen minutes later, a small, one-story place with faded paint, and walk around back, knowing that her dad would not be home for a few hours due to his habit of getting drunk and crashing at his girlfriends house. Opening the back door that hasn't locked properly since they got the place, I walk into the house to find it eerily quiet. _'Ana gets up before I do, where is she?_' I think to myself as I move towards her room. A note on the door stops me, and as I read it, my world comes crashing down around me.

* * *

_Cory, knowing you, you're standing here wondering what's going on. I can't do this anymore. I've made my decision, and this is what I want. You didn't do anything to cause this; in fact you delayed this from happening. I'm so, so sorry it has to be like this but know that I love you with everything I have. Please, don't come in. You shouldn't have to see. Goodbye._

* * *

I stand there, reading the note but not comprehending it. My hands shaking as I hold it, I look at it again. "There is no way" I mutter to myself, turning the handle and finding the door locked. "Ana? Come on, open the door. Ana, this isn't funny!" At this point I'm pounding on the door, heart hammering and breath shaky as I refuse to acknowledge what the circumstances imply. After a few moments, panic wins out, and I start putting my foot to the door. After a few strong kicks, the flimsy door swings in, revealing the sight that turns my panic and dread into shock, and stops all of my thoughts in their tracks.  
She's lying there motionless, face towards me, eyes glassy, skin pale. Underneath her, the bedsheets are stained red with blood. In a heartbeat I'm at her side, looking at her wrist, the epicenter of the stain. 'Oh god, she's been like this for hours.' My hands fly to her neck, feeling for a pulse and finding nothing. I'm losing it, tears already flowing freely down my face, ear to her chest listening for a heartbeat I already know won't be there. "Oh Ana, please no. Nononono..." I cradle her, rocking back and forth, all rational thought gone. As I move, I notice a metallic glint in her enclosed hand. I reach out, and after a moment pull loose dogtags, the tags I'd had made for her , one listing my information, the other her own. I'd had them made for her, telling her we'd always be together. Cheesy, but she smiled. Now stained with blood, I stare at them, feeling the raw emotion of grief overtake me.

* * *

The next twelve hours are a blur of walking, crying, and losing all sense of purpose. The one thing still keeping me going is gone, leaving me with an empty place in my heart. At some point, I end up home again, staring blankly at the front door. I'm numb and cold, face expressionless. I can hear them, my mother and Bill, arguing about something. I open it, drawing their attention to me. Immediately, I hear my mother's voice. "Where have you been?" she asks, no real emotion in her voice. I don't answer her, simply moving towards my room, but I'm stopped by Bill.

"Hey you little shit, where have you been?" I can smell the cheap liquor on his breath, and I know this won't go well. "I asked you a question!" he says, his voice rising.

"The hell do you care." I reply, toneless.

"I want to know!" he's right in my face now, staring at my vacant eyes. He takes in my disheveled appearance, and surprisingly, chuckles. "Been getting into trouble?" He asks, and I look down.

My hoodie is slightly smeared with blood. Only noticing now, I can feel myself becoming emotional again. Looking up, I see Bill moving back towards my mother, and almost immediately their argument picks back up. I stand there, unable to move, as they go at each other. I don't really pay attention to it until I see him smack my mother, and i watch as she slams into the kitchen table. He hits her again, and goes for a third time but at that point I'm on him, pent-up emotion making me rush into him. he stops only long enough to shove me into the counter my hands stopping me from hitting too hard but still slamming my head. My vision goes red, only clearing as I hear my mother screaming "STOP!"

I look down, staring from the knife in my hand to the twitching Bill underneath me. I had driven the knife into his chest, repeatedly. The fury in Bill's eyes was replaced with an unfocused terror, and then nothing. My eyes see all this, and my body goes into autopilot, moving as fast as it can out the door.

* * *

When I regain some semblance of thought, I'm outside, leaning on a railing. As I take in my surroundings, I realize I'm on a bridge. Not just a bridge, but Ambassador Bridge. 'How in the hell did I even get here?' I wonder, looking out over the water. I'm brought from my thoughts by somebody next to me, leaning on the railing as well, taking in the view.

"Not bad" the person says, and from the voice I can tell it's a he, though with a slightly high-pitched voice. "But I've seen better." I look over to him, taking in the hooded outfit, it hiding his face.

"Who are you?" I ask, though in my state of mind I didn't think much of another person on a restricted footpath.

"It isn't relevant at this point. What is important is that I must ask you something." I stare at him, though he continues to look over the water, towards the city.

"Well, what is that you want?"

"There are those who believe you can help us. That you can change things." He turns slightly towards me, and I take an immediate step back. His face, from what I can see, is gray, and most definitely **NOT** human.

"What the hell?" Is my eloquent reply. He seems amused by it.

"Not what you were expecting, I'm sure. Do you think you can help us?"

"With.. With what?" The surreality of the moment, coupled with the day's events, leaves me thinking I've finally lost it.

"There are things set in motion, things that need to be stopped. We need your help." I stare over the water, waiting for him to keep talking. 'If I've lost it, might as well listen.' I think to myself.  
"Look out onto the water" He says, and I do so. "Do you see it?" I do. There is a faint, pulsing glow, as if a strobe light is under the water. "Get to it, and you'll be.. Transported" I look at him, realizing that he may be more insane than I am.

"Are you serious? What, am I supposed to just jump off the damn bridge?" I stare fully at him now, waiting.

"You'll make it." Is his reply.

"You are insane. This whole conversation is insane." I continue to stare at him, fully convinced that I've lost it now. He merely smiles slightly, and looks toward the glow. Taking a moment, I look at it too, and make my decision.

Now he seems slightly surprised as I climb the guardrail and hold on the outside of it now. " If I am insane, then what are you doing?" he asks. I glance back wards, then look back out at the water below.

"Embracing the madness"


	2. Brave New World

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. At all.**

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**A/N: **Here again, second chapter now. let me know what you think.

* * *

Moments before I hit the water, I think to myself 'WELL, that was stupid." The immediate pain I feel attests to it. The pain means I did, in fact, survive the fall, barely. The bad news, I realize, is that the impact knocked the air from my lungs, making me instinctively breathe in, sucking in the freezing water. Choking, I flail about, not knowing which way is up. Only then do I realize the glowing light was actually a squarish electronic beacon, and I somehow landed mere inches from it. I reach out for it as my lungs scream for air. Getting a grip on it, I press the button on the side.  
Nothing happens. 'Shit'.  
Truly panicking now as my vision starts to fade, I hold on to one last, rather strange thought:  
'Damn gray alien.. Guy'

* * *

_Location unknown_  
_ Date/Time unknown_  
The first thing that alerts me to the fact that I'm alive is a massive migraine, which isn't out of the ordinary for me and lets me believe for a fleeting moment that the Previous day was all a sick nightmare. Opening my eyes, however, proves me wrong immediately. It's Detroit, but different. More... Clean, futuristic. Looking around more from my lovely vantage point on a public bench alerted me to more differences. Like the flying car, or the hooded Salarian standing nearby looking at me, or the fact that it's early afternoon by the look of the sun, or... Wait, what.

"Ajsdnyhfru!" Is the incomprehensible gibberish that comes from my mouth as I take notice of the **Salarian **now standing in front of me. "You're.. A..." He nods. "Which means I'm..." He nods again. "What the hell" I mutter, unable to stop staring.

"I was the same way when my employers approached me and told me that there were universes other than my own, places where my galaxy was a video game."

"So this is.. Real?" I ask, the magnitude of it dawning on me.

"In this universe, the events of the game you are thinking about are real things, that will happen." Now that I can fully see his face, I can see the pleased expression that I'm not totally freaking out, though confusion at that is laced in too. I answer the unspoken question.

"Well, I can't exactly complain at the change of scenery." My face grows dark as I consider the previous day. "So, why me? Why now? You could have asked me before everything happened." He looks at me, considering.

"Would you have gone?" he asks, and I cannot respond. "I was only to keep an eye on you, see if you would be able to help. When... What occurred, occurred, I had to act. I did not know what was going to happen." I look at him, silently permitting him to continue. "Look, a lot has happened in a very short time. Go to your old apartment. The building is modernized, but it's still there. Go there, think things over. I have to speak to my employers." I'm so wrapped up in what has happened I almost miss him starting to walk away.

"Wait!" I yell, and he looks back. "Who are you?" I ask once more.

"Just someone doing what needs to be done." Comes the cryptic reply.

"Great" I mutter, looking back towards the skyline. "Secrecy. Fun." I look towards the road. "Well, time to figure out what the hell is going on." I say as I start walking, trying to orient my self in an completely foreign feeling city.

* * *

Detroit, I soon realized, was still home. It looked shinier, but underneath it was the same place. I made good time once I found out where I was at, though the trip back home was... Interesting. Looking at the buildings, the the weird clothes people wore, and the freaking aliens. Mass Effect didn't really talk about it, but there were aliens on Earth. In the minority, but there. I must look like a total idiot, gawking at them in my 21st century, slightly bloody clothes. As I think about this, I force down the wave of emotions that threaten to overwhelm me. 'Not now,' I think to myself. 'Focus on getting back to the apartment now, break down later.'

Getting back to the building, I make my way up to the third floor. Despite there being six more floors now, it was the same structure. Walking to the door, I automatically reach for my key, but instead of a doorknob and deadbolt, there is one of those holographic interfaces. I tentatively reach towards the red circle, jumping back when it flashes and says "**Voice pattern required" **in a synthetic voice.  
"Uhh.."  
It plays back** "Uhh.." "Voice pattern confirmed. Welcome home."**  
I stand there a moment. "Well then," I mutter, and go inside.

The place is sparsely furnished, and shows no signs of anyone living here. A quick look around confirms none of my old things are here, though I didn't expect them to be. The only remnants of my past life are the clothes on my back, and my pocket contents. I go through those, finding a couple of wrinkly dollar bills, my mp3 player, and... The dog tags. I begin to look at those, and what they imply, but before I can start to consider I hear Mr. Mysterious behind me.  
"You're here. Good." I jump at his words, and turn around. Hood down, I can see his face fully. Gray-skinned, and relatively young-looking (hard to judge on another species), he seemed an average Salarian. "I'm sure you have questions."

"Several." Came my reply, looking for him to continue.

"First, let me explain a few things. That way you can voice the other questions you'll no doubt have. You are here, Detroit, Michigan, Earth. It is January 22nd, 2177. You-"

"Wait a moment," came my interjection. "2177? I'm a bit early, aren't I?"

"Actually, I'm going to explain that. For now, just listen, and I'll give you what you need to know." I quiet down, waiting for him to continue. "As I was saying, your role here remains to be seen. You have the ability to live however you want. You have been given a new lease on life. You know what would've happened had you stayed in your universe." I cringe slightly, think about it. I would've probably been arrested.. Or have committed suicide before that.

"The reason we brought you here, though, is because we need help." He seems to consider something, before pressing on."What my employers don't want to share, is that we've already affected the timeline, only for the worse. We tried to alter the outcome, only it backfired, and the Reapers won." My eyes widen at this, and he takes note of it."We wanted to make things better," he sighed. "Instead we almost lost everything. We want you to help correct the outcome."

"How am I supposed to do that?" The question is out before I can stop it.

"That, is entirely up to you. You can do great things, or nothing. But if you do not intervene, the Reapers will destroy all advanced life due to the altered timeline."

"No pressure."

He smiles."Indeed. But, we feel you are capable of changing things for the better. as of now, you do still have a decision in the matter. If you want to change things, take this." He picks up a data-pad from the table, (which I managed not to notice until this point) and hands it to me. It lists a departure time and a location.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" I ask, confused to no end.

"It is a shuttle flight to Tokyo, set to leave tomorrow at noon. If you are to change things, there is where you will start."

"And what will I do?"

"You remember Kasumi Goto?

"Yeah, master thief and so on."

"In 2177, she is merely thief, and she will be caught tomorrow. You will prevent her from receiving a viscous beating, among other things. The details are on the data-pad, as well as the location of some basic things, Omni-tool and such, which you will need. The rest, is up to you. Questions?"

"Many."

"Most of what you'll want to know is on there. As for the timing, you're not exactly fit to save the galaxy yet. The extra time will be for preparation, should you choose to do so. As for the rest, You will learn as you go. If you want to help, go to the departure gate tomorrow. Good day." He walks out, not actually answering what I wanted to know.

"Ass," I mutter, looking at the data-pad. Instead of scrolling through it though, I pull the tags back out of my pocket, wrapping the chain around my fist and stretching out on the only piece of furniture in the main room, a couch. I had a lot to think about.


	3. Getting To Work

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. At all.**

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**A/N:** Hello to the fifteen people who've looked at the story so far! As for anyone new, welcome! Glad you stopped by. I'm not very good at this stuff so tell me just how bad it is. Let me know what you think. **Edit:** Fixed muck up at the end of ch.2., Kudos to a reviewer who pointed out my mess-up on the timeline.

* * *

_Detroit, Michigan_  
_January 23rd, 2177. 10:00 A.M._

I spent most of the night considering the previous day's events. The non-'save the galaxy' events were haunting me. The only thing I could do was distract myself with the information Mr. Cryptic left behind. I was to go to Detroit metro, and open one of the lockers there. Inside would be the gear I'd need: Omni-tool, credits, and a ticket to Tokyo. That part was also bugging me. How would I help Kasumi? I'm not exactly a soldier. Maybe I could distract the group that was going to hassle her? And all this extra information. Shuttle controls, The layout of the market she was supposed to be in. It seems like they want me to be prepared, at least.

It still left me with a nagging question: did I want to do this? They could easily find someone who could do it better. Some Spec-Ops soldier or something. It doesn't make any sense to me. My inner monologue is interrupted by the chime of the microwave. The place doesn't have much, but it has ramen. Me and ramen, we go way back.

* * *

After eating, getting cleaned up, and redressed (I'm not going to question the futuristic version of my outfit I had found that morning) I set off. I didn't really have anything else I could do, so it made sense to do what I was needed for, at least for now. Arriving at the airport, I notice that it isn't equipped for large spaceships. It makes sense, as I consider it; only certain places would be legitimate spaceports on a heavily-populated planet, the other airports would merely direct planetary shuttles. Making my way through the typical crowds you'd expect from an airport, I reach the locker area. I list the required information to the security guard, and make my way in. Upon finding the locker and entering the punch code from the data-pad, I find an Omni-tool, 2000 credits, a card that looked like a chit but was a ticket for the shuttle I would soon be boarding, as well as a second data-pad. This one simply read: "_Good to see you decided to help. When you've arrived in Tokyo, go to the luggage area. You will find some things that would've raised flags with security had you carried them aboard. Good luck."_

This raises flags with me, but any extra help is a good thing, I'm sure. Moving towards departures, I search for the 12:00P.M. to Tokyo, which was surprisingly easy to locate. I guess they've learned something about flight coordination in 160 years. That was another thing I was forced to think about. Everybody I've ever known is long gone. the thought of it sticks with me as I fiddle with the Omni-tool, determined to understand the device and get it working during the flight.  
The actual trip there was surprisingly short, a mere 45 minutes. Of course, air traffic is so congested over Japan that it took another 30 minutes to get groundside. So much for coordination. In that time, I got my Omni-tool up and running. After putting it on (this one basically clips on your wrist and forearm with some wires) I found out that it was a military model, Nexus IV, and had Overload and hacking abilities already installed. The actual interface could be activated by a button on the center chip, but could be programmed to be motion-activated. I don't want to stab myself in the leg or something, so I'll leave that part be.

Once I get groundside, I make my way to luggage as instructed. After bringing up the directory, and letting it scan my Omni-tool, the case pops out of a nearby dispenser. Efficient. Once outside (and away from anyone who would look inside it) I open the case. Inside is a shield generator, an earwig, and a weird backpack. No weapons to speak of, but it's probably better not to shoot my foot off yet. Underneath, I find a third data-pad, and read aloud: "The earwig is actually a temporary translator until I can have one implanted, fun. And the backpack is part storage, part.. Parachute?" I read the last segment again. "_In case of emergency, the pack also contains a high-strength parachute." _'Oh, this is going to end badly.'

* * *

After getting the pack on and generator up and running (you never know), I set off. My only lead is that Kasumi would be in the markets near the port. Walking there gave me time to admire the architecture, showing that humanity was sometimes capable of great things.

"Stop! Thief!"

'Sigh'. Then again... I make my way towards the yelling, moving in between stalls of touristy junk, only to be bowled over by a diminutive Asian girl. "Ow, dammit.." I mutter, rubbing my head as she immediately stands and continues to run. Only then it clicked: Asian girl, yelling. I could see two stereotypical oversized goons headed this way. 'Okay, think fast, use the area: narrow walkway between stalls, stalls flimsy..' All of the sudden they're running past me. I facepalm at my idiocy, and chase after them.

Turns out oversized goons are a lot easier to track than small Asian girls, as they lost track of her while I keep an eye on them. I'm just starting to think that I wouldn't even need to help Kasumi at all until I hear a deep, triumphant yell, and the sounds of a struggle. I sprint towards the noise and hide by a wall. The two are holding her by the arms, and seem to be waiting for something. A few minutes later, that something turns out to be a seedy-looking man in a stained suit, panting heavily and clutching his side. Boss man, by the look of him. The grin on his greasy-looking face seals it before he even opens his mouth.  
"Good job boys" He says to the pair of brutes, before turning his attention to Kasumi. "Well now, you caused a bit of trouble, didn't you sweetheart? Yes, you did. I think me and the boys are going to have fun paying you back for that."

'Okay, enough of this.' I grab the two most painful-looking items I can find from the nearby stall, a couple of bamboo.. I'm not sure what they are, but they'll hurt. The stallkeep is too engrossed with the show to pay attention to me. I approach the group, yelling at the overgrown thugs. "Hey! Gorillas!" To my amusement, they turn and face me. 'Heh, must get called that a lot.' "Eat this!" I chuck each piece of tourist crap at the duo. The first piece only clips the guy's shoulder, but catches his attention. The second is far better, hitting thug #2 in the face. Their focus on me, they drop Kasumi, who dashes without a second thought. Mr. Greasy tries to stop her, but a knee to the groin topples even the best of men. I hear him spending his little remaining air yelling at the goons approaching me.

My problem was the two goons approaching me, go figure. The people around the market are too busy recording the confrontation to be of any assistance. I can see it now: Tourist Pulped by Thugs in Tokyo. I have to think fast again. Well, faster this time. Salvation came in the form of my Omni-tool: Overload. I activate it, rather desperately, with beautiful results. Apparently, Overload on unshielded targets will cause a taser effect. It brings the twin towers of testosterone down into twitching heaps on the ground. With Mr. Creepy still down as well, and the sounds of others approaching, it's time to take my leave.  
Moving quickly in the direction of the soon to be infamous thief, I begin to feel something that I haven't in a long time: accomplished. I did something that helped someone. Maybe, I could be of some sort of help after all. I'm brought out of my thoughts by a hand on my arm pulling me out of the street and into an alleyway. Me, ever the eloquent charmer, spoke first.

* * *

"Ajsdnyhfru!"

"Didn't mean to spook you, but you're kinda easy to track." The voice, with it's familiar tone, makes me look fully towards the one and only Kasumi Goto. "Why did you help me?" She asks, obviously mistrustful of the slightly sweating person in front of her. "And why did you chase after me?"

"You looked like you needed the help." Taking in her appearance, I realize that she must've been young in the Mass Effect series. 'She doesn't look a day over sixteen.' I offer my hand to her. "Cory Weston." She eyes my hand, but doesn't take it. "Well, those guys won't be down for long, I'm sure. Anywhere we could go?" She looks at me for a long moment, before her lips quirk into a slight smile.

"Yeah, follow me." With that, she's back into the thronging crowds, and with no other choice other than losing track of her, I scramble to keep her in my sights. Little did I know, it wouldn't be the last time I'd be running that day.


	4. Somebody Up There

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. At all**.

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**A/N:** Ugh, I have no faith in my writing abilities. BUT. Here I go regardless. As always, feel free to point out my screwups. If you like the story, let me know that as well. Enjoy. **Edit**: Just to be clear, Cory is a guy. Didn't want any confusion. Also broke up the paragraphs since the doc. manager wont let me tab right.

* * *

_Tokyo, Japan._  
_January 23rd, 2177. 2:15 P.M._

The sounds of the crowds start to dull as Kasumi leads me farther away from the well-worn tourist paths and deeper into the areas only locals would brave. She moves with confidence now, relaxing as delves deeper into her world. I can't help but look around nervously at the people who eye us from chairs and doorways into ramshackle buildings.

"Hey," I look back towards Kasumi. "Move like you belong. If these guys make you for a tourist, they'll eat you alive." I try to follow her advice, but I keep checking behind us for trouble. Eventually, through many narrow alleys and turnabouts that I'd never find my way out of alone, we reach our destination. "Welcome to the safehouse." She says with a flourish.

"Safehouse" might have been a stretch. Little more than a room in an unfinished building, it's only advantage was being well out of the way. With a few mats on the floor, and an slightly sour odor, it's not the most pleasant place I've ever been. Kasumi seems to notice my hesitation, and speaks. "Well, it's not five-star, but I lay low here sometimes if one of my.. Adventures goes awry."

"Adventures, huh?" I smile at her wording.

"Well, I'd like to think of them as such." The smirk on her face says it all.

"Okay then. What now?"

"Now, we wait a couple hours, hoping Mr. Owens gives up his search."

"Owens, huh?"

"Yep, pretty small-time guy. Only reason he even has henchmen is his money." The pieces start to fit into place.  
"Let me guess: he has too much of it for his own good, and you took it upon yourself to help him with that."

"Very astute, Mr. Weston."

"I try. You know, you never did tell me your name." She smiles fully now.

"I didn't, did I?"

"No."

"Well I'm not going to." I look at her, confused. "A thief's identity is a fairly important thing to keep, and I don't know if I trust you yet." Fair enough. Now inside sitting on a mat, I look back towards the door before voicing another question.

"How much did you take?"

"Oh, enough for some food, a change of clothes, and about 35,000 credits extra." I do an immediate double take.

"What?"

"If it's any consolation, he's not a nice guy."

"Then why would you piss him off by taking that much?"

"Relax, he doesn't know who we are, and only people who know this area to heart would be able to find us."

"Quite right, sweetheart." Oh, shit.

Standing in the open doorway is none other than Mr. Owens, flanked by his two thugs, neither of which seem pleased to see me."Your neighbors aren't very concerned about your well-being when it comes to money. Bruno, Pex. get them" They start to approach us, a dangerously happy look on their faces. "Hey guys..." Is the last thing out of my mouth before one of them puts his fist to my jaw. As my vision swims towards unconsciousness, I hear the menacing chuckle of men with nasty plots.

'I have got to stop waking up in pain.' I can feel myself being dragged somewhere, and I slowly open my eyes. One of the large thugs is pulling me along by my left arm while my right is occupied by a smaller guy, though the armor he wore suggests he's for more than looking mean. the folded-up weapon and knife at his hip attest to it. the two are speaking, so I focus on them while feigning continued unconsciousness.

"So what's the plan?" the smaller one says as we start to go down some stairs.

"The boss wants this one taken care of while he deals with the other one."

"Taken care of? Pex, what did he even do?" 'shitshitshit.'

"He got in our business. That's all you need to know."

".. Guess it doesn't matter."

"That's right, it doesn't." we stop moving. "We're here."

I open my eyes fully, looking around. A cellar of some type, with a few crates and no other exits. "We'll be waiting up top. Do it, and get up there."

'Okay, gotta distract him, look for a plan.' my eyes scan the room for something I can use when it clicks: humor. 'Maybe I can get him to lower his guard enough.' By this time, Pex is gone, and my would-be murderer has noticed I'm awake. He sighs slightly before speaking.

"Sorry man, wrong time, wrong place. Nothing personal."

Time to go for broke. "That's what you think. I fucked your wife last light." He flinches slightly, and just as I'm sure I've screwed myself, he smiles.

"Oh, yeah? And how did you know it was my wife?"

"She said her husband was some thug-looking prick with shitty armor."

"Oh you're a real cool for a guy about to take a bullet." I can tell he's enjoying the conversation somewhat.

"After fucking your wife, I'll take two." He's officially amused at this point, and it shows.

"Not bad, Not bad. Tell ya what: where do you want it, the chest, or the face?" He gestures with his gun, a Low-value brand Predator from the looks of it.

"That's what I asked your wife."

"Okay man, enough with the wife shit." Oh, no you don't.

"Ask me how fat she is." He looks at me a moment, and I look back at him, eyes daring him to ask. He relents.

"Okay, how fat is she?" He asks, a grin forming on his face.

"She's so fat you gotta roll her in flour and look for the wet spot." He chuckles. "Man, if you wanna fuck her, you gotta slap her thigh and ride the wave in."More chuckling." Now I'm not saying she's fat, but her high school picture WAS a satellite image." now he's fully laughing, and his arm lowers slightly.

Time to strike.

I whip my hand out, forcing his arm to the side as my other wraps around the grip of the knife at his waist. In a heartbeat, it's out of it's sheathe and finding purchase in the side of his neck. I'm as surprised as he is, not realizing what I'd done until it was already in motion. I pull the blade free, still in shock. He drops the pistol, hands at his neck as he starts to weaken already.

"You.. Bastard.." Famous last words.

I look at him, life draining out of his body. "And then some." I mutter, grabbing the pistol and heading for the stairs.

* * *

Amazingly, I still have my things. As for the gun, I'd learn by doing. Keeping it unfolded, I come out of the stairwell to the lobby of a rather luxurious-looking apartment/office building, vacant of any front desk clerks. With a streak of ingenuity, I decide to check the desk terminal. Lo and behold, penthouse number two was owned by a Trevor Owens. I also find an emergency code for his front door. 'Things are finally looking up.' One elevator ride later that, by some miracle, moved faster than two miles an hour, I'm Keying in the code to the door on the little holo-screen. It opens without trouble, revealing a posh, spacious apartment with windows on two walls, showing a view of downtown Tokyo at night that would've been mesmerizing in any other situation. As it is, I have a group standing out on a deck to worry about.

Owens is gesturing on and on, waving his arms in an arrogant way while his thugs stand with their backs to the door. The only person facing my direction is Kasumi, hands bound and eyes full of fear. If she sees me, she hides it well. I slowly approach them, my shoes making no noise on the rich carpeting. I'm almost close enough to do something when Owens spins around, and upon looking at me shouts "Bruno!"

Said man and Pex spin around and my hands act before my mind can give the order, bringing the pistol up and squeezing the trigger. At point blank range, the volley of shots tear through both men's jackets, blood oozing from their chests as they hit the ground. I have no more time to reflect on this as Owens pulls his own pistol from inside his suit. I dive behind the marble counter as the resulting shots slam against the other side. By the sound of it, his gun is a lot more powerful than my own. 'I'll only have a moment out of cover before my shields collapse.' Instead of looking over the top, I spin around the side.

Holding Kasumi as a shield, he aims his pistol at me. I line up my own as I feel impacts along my shield. As they collapse, I squeeze the trigger. The resulting slug enters the mans skull in a fraction of a second, his body recoiling and starting to go over the rail.

With Kasumi still in his grip.

"Shit." Time seems to speed up, rather than slow down, as I sprint towards her. I manage to get a grip on her arm, just as they tumble over.

Which only pulls me over with them.

"SHIT!" Is my response to this turn of events. Now free of his grip (NOW he lets go), Kasumi clings to my neck as we start to plummet off of the 80-story highrise. Straight down.

'Somebody up there wants me dead.' I briefly reflect before pulling the ripcord on my backpack.

* * *

Despite my lack of parachuting abilities, we manage to tumble to the ground, in a heap of limbs and chute, alive. Working myself from the tangle, I stand up and take a look around. We've managed to land in a relatively vacant area, a park of some kind. I'm brought from my thoughts by Kasumi, who is struggling to get up with her hands still bound with tape. I pull the bloodied knife from my pocket (where else could I keep it?) and assist her in removing it. As soon as she's free, I'm surprised by a pouncing hug, which I hesitantly return. She releases me and steps back, looking at me for a moment, before she simply says "Kasumi. Kasumi Goto." I nod at this, and turn on my Omni-tool.

"Look," I begin."We can catch an outbound shuttle to Detroit. From there, we can figure out how to get off of Earth." She looks at me questioningly, and I continue."We can't stay here, not with Owens dead." I surprise myself with the words, but they make sense as I say them. "we can't afford to have his bosses finding us. Do you understand?" She hesitantly nods.

"Yes, but where should we go?" I take a moment to consider this, before replying.

"The Citadel."

* * *

_Location unknown_  
"Him, sir?"

"Yes. With what he's done today, coupled with his lack of history, he's.. Different. Make it happen."

"Yes sir."


	5. Welcome To Hell

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. At all.**

* * *

**A/N: **There appears to be a fledgling interest in this story, so I'ma continue it :P. As always, let me know what you think. EDIT: changed 'omnitools' to the proper 'Omni-tools'.

* * *

_Tokyo, Japan._  
_January 23rd, 2177. 9:15 P.M._

"You are batshit insane." I turn my head towards Kasumi as we walk to the shuttleport.

"That bad, huh?"

"You killed three people!" I cringe slightly at this, but suppress the feeling of bile in my throat.

"Four, actually. Who were going to kill us." She frowns at this.

"You jumped off a building, and pulled a stuntman by parachuting to safety."

"To save your ass."

"Still makes you a crazy person."

"Well, I wasn't debating that part." Our argument dies down as we reach the port. Even at night, it's fairly busy. "Well," I start. "Here we are. Shall we?" She nods, and we head inside. Incriminating items disposed of (well, melted down into Omni-gel by my ever-valuable Omni-tool), We make it through the security checkpoints with little hassle. My remaining creds (Kasumi's ill-gotten ones had been taken from her by Owens) go towards two tickets to Detroit.

"Where are we going to get the credits for a shuttle off of earth?" Kasumi points out to me.  
"I know someone who can help us." Comes my reply. In reality, I'm just hoping that Mr. Employee would help me out again. I did what he had asked me to do, sort of. Now, He should let me know what to do next. "For now, lets just get there."

* * *

The shuttle is half-filled, with around 30 people spread out through the seats. Moving to our own, we settle in for the relatively short trip. My relaxation came in the form of my mp3 player, which had made it through everything I had. 'Simple luxuries.' The sounds of A.D.H.D. earn me a tap on the shoulder from Kasumi.

"Ignoring the relic you're using to play it, what is that music?" I raise my eyebrow briefly, before realizing it's now older than the both of us.

"Kendrick Lamar." I hand my free earbud to her. She takes it, inserting it into her ear as it plays on. She listens to the lyrics for a few seconds before asking me where I found this, confused. "Oh, around," I answer with a cryptic smile on my face. "Why?"

"Because it probably shouldn't exist." Now it is my turn to be confused.

"Why?" She motions to her Omni-tool, where an extranet window is open.

_"No search results found for _'Kendrick Lamar'._"_ I frown at this, and immediately open my own search bar.

'Ab-Soul' Nothing.  
'Eminem' No results.  
'Metallica' Zilch.

"Ajsdnyhfru?!" My shock cannot be put into words.

"Look up music suppression, 2054." Kasumi says, and I do so. The results are extremely depressing, and completely ridiculous.

* * *

_"The Explicit Music Suppression act, carried out in 2054, was a motion by politicians who were concerned with the level of obscenity in recent music, and felt that it was damaging the minds of the new generation. This opinion was met with extremely mixed reactions, and many protesters objected on several different grounds. After months of debate,the act was declared legal, and over 90% of the music created over the past hundred years was scrubbed from the internet and connected computers through mandatory updates. The resulting riots caused by people resisting this movement went on for over two years. They were only put to a stop when the act was lifted in 2056, but by that time little remained in terms of actual written lyrics, with many of the artists who had created them dead or forced to turn over all material in the hopes that they wouldn't release the content again. This also marked the last time an appointed official was reprimanded for allowing spiritual beliefs to cause such instability. "- Earth archives, updated 2175._

* * *

I glare harshly at the last statement. Of. Course. Suddenly, a horrifying thought crosses my mind, causing me to frantically type in a new search, only breathing a sigh of relief when it comes up empty as well.

"What was that about?" Kasumi asks me.

"Just making sure a certain plague was snuffed out." I reply as I clear 'Justin Bieber' from my search bar. "Well, what do you think?" She looks at the mp3 player now in my hand.

"I think you're sitting on a potential goldmine." She replies. "Where did you get that?" I only smirk at her, and she pouts slightly. "Meanie."

* * *

Upon landing, I begin to feel something is amiss. My thoughts are confirmed as the pilot's voice sounds from a loudspeaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay, but Metro Security is concerned over a possible security threat aboard. Please stand by." My eyes lock onto Kasumi.

"No way that it's us," she whispers, looking towards the airlock regardless. "Nobody knows we were involved with Owens." The airlock opens, revealing two fully-armored men with Avengers in their charcoal-colored armor shows no recognizable insignia. The gaze of the first man lands on us, and I immediately look at Kasumi as if to say 'are you sure?'. As they wind their way towards us, I slide my mp3 player into my pocket. Upon reaching us, the first man speaks.

"Cory Weston?"

"Um, no?" I reply as I slowly raise my hands up, palms out.

Only to see an assault rifle stock flying towards my face. "Motherf-"

Pain, followed by darkness.

* * *

Following my return to consciousness, I reflect on something important: 'I HAVE to stop waking up with a splitting headache wondering where I'm at.' I look around the room I find myself in, finding bland walls, a light attached to the ceiling, a door with no interface, a mirror on one side, and a metal table that my hands are unfortunately cuffed to."Shit, I could be in any interrogation room in the galaxy." I mutter, and as if on cue, the door opens, revealing a glimpse of a hallway made up of the same metallic material as the cell before closing behind a man in his thirties maybe, head shaved bald and wearing a plain white uniform under a lab coat, of all things. He sits down in the chair on the opposite end of the table I'm restrained to, and starts to speak.

"Well, do you know why you are here?" he asks as his Omni-tool activates, recording the conversation.

"My yearly check-up?" He smiles a moment, then presses a button on his Omni-tool.

Flaming daggers seem to pierce every inch of my skin as I convulse in my chair, feeling the most agonizing pain I've ever known. As soon as it started, the sensation stops, leaving me panting for breath.

"I'd advise you to look at the device on your wrist, Mr. Weston." I do. It looks like an oversized, black wristwatch. "That device is wired into your nerves, a stroke of genius if I do say so myself. Instead of affecting pleasure centers, which certain suit rats are infamous for, it lights up your pain receptors, causing hell on your mind but no lasting damage to your body."

The smug pride in his work, and the off-handed racism he used, made me aware that something was very, very wrong here.

* * *

"What is it that you want?"

"Catching on, are you? Very good. You appeared seemingly out of thin air in the Detroit Metro logs. Before that, there is no trace of your existence. Care to explain?"

"I'm not sure what you mean." I say, choosing my words carefully. "I'm just a street kid from Detroit." He smiles at this, and I know I've fallen into a trap.

"And yet you appear in Tokyo, and bring down a crime boss who tries to kill you. Don't be surprised," he adds looking at me. "The people I work for have eyes everywhere. How is it you just simply appear there, in time to interrupt his day?"

"It was simple coincidence," I begin. "I was just there-" I'm stopped mid speech by his pressing the button again, for longer this time. By the time I recover, I'm shaking like a leaf.

"I could do this all day," he begins. " But I have someone who can simply pull the information I seek a lot easier. I don't like her, but I can't deny her usefulness." He taps something out on the wrist-mounted device that I'm beginning to hate, and a few moments later the door opens, revealing an Asari in yellow armor. My blood runs cold as I realize his plan.

"Probe his mind" The doctor, for lack of a better title, says." We need to know how he managed to end up in Detroit with no prior history." She simply nods, and approaches my chair. There is no dramatic speech; she merely blinks and proceeds to alter the very meaning of mindfuck.

The experience is hard to understand, akin to someone trying to rip a book away from you you really didn't want them to read. As my mind struggles, I can feel her trying to watch my memories like a movie. As past experiences come to focus, I realize that I can still see the room, and if I focus on one particular memory, it becomes clearer. Using this, I plan a little mindfuck of my own.

* * *

_(POV Dr. Decker)_

I can see the veins in his temple pulse as the blue bitch works her magic. 'She has a streak of cruelty about her that I can appreciate, at least.' Only it starts to go wrong.

I notice a shift: the added stress seems to be on HER face now, as if she has found something horrifying. All of the sudden, she breaks away, screaming slightly as she bumps into the wall.

"For god's sake, what?" I demand.

"He... He actively resisted me," She begins. "He even started to... Invade MY mind.. All I could see was raw emotion." She shivers at this, and it alerts me to just how bad it may have been to see a 300-year old woman shiver. "There was so much pain.. Anguish, rage..." She looks me dead in the eyes. "If you are planning on breaking him, don't waste your time." she looks over to the pale man now slumped over the table, out cold. "He won't break." She walks out without another word, and I smile as she leaves. I speak now to my Omni-tool.

"He's a good candidate. He will become unstoppable with the training we have planned, but he will bend to our will. Everyone breaks eventually."

* * *

_(POV Cory)_

'Another day, another time I wake up in a strange place with my head pulsing. I should start just expecting this.'

I slowly get up from the floor, looking at my new surroundings. it seems like a barracks, with six small beds in the room, and two ajar doors revealing bathrooms. My attention is drawn to the.. Unique looking people now standing in front of me. The first, a monster of a man at at least 6' 7" speaks first.

"Welcome to Hell."


	6. The Company You Keep

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. At all. Srsly.**

* * *

**A/N: **Welcome one and all to the next installment of Of Soul and Steel. I've been cleaning up the previous chapters as best I can, and I try to monitor for errors as I go. Don't hesitate to let me know if I miss anything. And if you can, drop a review, even if it's just like "Great. Want more." They make it seem worth it to write the story, and attract more readers, which makes me want to shell out more chapters as often as I can. Shameless plug aside, enjoy :)

* * *

_Location unknown_  
_January 24th, 2177._

He steps forward, extending his hand, and I realize that I was mistaken. He is even **taller**, standing at nearly seven feet. With broad-looking soldiers, olive skin, and buzz-cut hair, He would paint a far more intimidating picture if not for the smile on his face as I take his hand.

"Hell, huh? Catchy."

"Trust me," The second of the trio says, a deathly pale, shorter man with a wide scar over his cheek. "You'll come to know it as the same." I nod, looking towards the final member of the little group. A girl, no older than 18 maybe, with dark hair, and... Oh, oh God.

She looks just like Ana.

The same nose, eye shape... As I continue to look, I start to notice the higher cheekbones, the different facial structure. It's not her, but it reminds me of the things that shifted to the back of my mind. I wonder briefly why I'm not a gibbering mess, curled up on the floor.

"Um, why are you staring at me?" She asks. Shit.

"Sorry" I say quickly, averting my eyes and walking towards one of the free beds. "You just... Remind me of someone I used to know." I sit down, and look back towards the group. "My name is Cory." Surprisingly, the pale man chuckles.

"Kid, names don't matter here." He looks towards the larger man. "Delta, maybe you should explain the situation." I raise my eyebrows.

"Alright," 'Delta' says. "Where should I start? ah, okay." He looks towards the locked door before continuing. "Each of us here was coerced, tricked, or simply forced to come here. As for the reason," he glances at me before continuing. "We're here because we showed traits that would prove beneficial for a program these guys have been running. They're developing our combat skills, our motor functions, and our general knowledge of warfare. They're trying to make super soldiers."

"That sounds insane. Who are these people?" I ask.

"We're not sure." He replies. "Not Alliance, I know that much. I was in the Alliance before I ended up here. They wouldn't do something this extreme."

"Then who?" My suspicions were pointing me towards something, but I couldn't be sure.

"Like I said, we're not sure. I do know that this facility is extremely small, and we're the only 'subjects' here."

"And the name?" I inquire.

"The doctors here gave it to me. They seem to recycle Greek letters."

"Wait, recycle?"

He looks at me a moment, than motions me to follow him. I do, and we head into the bathroom. He fills the sink with water, and submerges the hand that has a wristband like mine on it, motioning for me to do the same.

"We can talk now, so long as we're quiet. There are microphones in the devices, but the water distorts the sound coming through."

"Clever."

"You can thank Alpha for that one."

"Alpha?"

"The girl. She's been here longer than me or Gamma. Ghost, as the nickname goes."

"Ghost, huh? Kinda cheesy."

"Each one of us can take a nickname, makes us feel special I guess. I've never wanted one, and I guess Alpha hasn't either. But back to the reason we're pruning our fingers. Alpha has said that there were others here before her, and just vanished without any announcement or reason. We assume the tests and experiments take their tolls, killing us one way or the other." A cold chill runs up my spine at these words.

"Wait, what?" His face is dark as he explains.

"We weren't joking about the hell thing. The shit they make us do here... Their methods either work extremely well, or cause your painful death. I'm not sure which is worse, with these people."

"So we're lab rats."

"More or less."

"Shit, do you guys have a plan?"

"Of a sort. I'll let you know when it actually starts to form. For now, we've just been swiping what we can. Random crap, most of which is useless. But we'll figure it out."

"Lovely." He takes his hand out of the water, and I follow him back to the bunks.

"For now, you've got a reprieve. The only thing they'll pull you for is a scan." Seeing my confusion, he elaborates. "It's a full body scan that'll give them a sense of how to train you. That, coupled with the psych evaluation, Will show what you might excel in, be it shotguns, snipers, biotics. Whatever you may be predisposed to."

"I'm not 'predisposed' to anything." I argue.

"There must be some reason you're here." He replies.

I think about this. 'Everything I've done lately? Most people would've fallen to pieces. I'm not far from it, but I'm still sane. Why? And how have I taken down people without flinching? It almost feels like instinct... And I don't know how to feel about that.' Delta looks at me a moment, and continues.

"Well, anyways, grab an empty bunk and relax. The real shit begins soon." I heed his words, sitting down on one of the beds as Gamma dims the lights on a wall-mounted switch and Alpha and Delta try to unwind. As I consider everything Delta has told me, I start to process everything that has happened over the past 4 days. It feels like it has been weeks. I reach for my tags on instinct only to find they're not there. As my stomach drops I lay down fully, curling away from the others. it's time to let myself grieve.

* * *

I'm awakened by the sound of my shackle beeping. As I groggily sit up I realize that it hasn't been a nightmare, but a sick reality.

What a fun way to start the day.

The wristband beeps again, and I start to move towards the door barefoot, my shoes taken from me before I first woke up here. As I pay attention to the lack of the others in the room, I only wonder what is in my future. The door opens, revealing two armed guards and the sick bastard that 'interviewed' me.

"Well now, Mr. Weston. Good to see you're awake."

"Good to see you doc," I answer sarcastically. "How's your blue friend?"

"A bit traumatized, but no lasting damage," He replies easily." You know, Mr. Weston, you are interesting. Atypical. Nobody has fought so hard against a mind probe with such successful results."

"I try to be unique." I reply wistfully.

"Time will tell if that is useful to us. For now, we need to run some tests on you to check your abilities." He turns to the two guards."Take him to Exam Room 2, and let Sasha know she has a patient." He then walks away, leaving me to my fate.

It turns out modern medicine is highly efficient. After being brought to the room and told to behave under fear of the item biting into my wrist, The guards leave, and are replaced by a kind-looking woman in a nurse's uniform. As she runs the non-invasive, highly intelligent V.I.-operated scan on me, she starts to speak.

"You know, Dr. Decker might not seem friendly, but he has humanity's best interests at heart."

"Decker's his name, huh?" I ask. "And he has humanity's best interests at heart? What about everyone else?" I ask, expecting a racist reply.

"Humanity is a newcomer to the galactic stage. We need to prove we're just as capable as anyone else before we'll be taken seriously, and the other races will accept our help." I'm surprised by this view, and tell her so. "Not everyone here is some xenophobic, head-up-their-ass fool who thinks humanity should rule over all. I agree with the program's goals, but not with their personnel."

I look at her with surprise, glancing at my wrist.

She's quick to reply. "Don't worry, those audio things never work around me. My Omni-tool jams those. I don't like being spied on." I smile at her words, but my next question is far more bitter.

"Sasha, do you know exactly what goes on here?" she frowns, surprised I know her name.

"I hear things.." she replies uneasily.

"You must know some of it. Do you think it is really for the good of humanity?" My eyes plead with her, but she clams up immediately.

"Look, it's not my place to question results." She stops at the sounds of the scan completing. "Interesting. I'll forward the results of this to Decker. The guards will escort you back to your quarters."

I walk towards the door, but stop short. "Sasha, it's your place as a good person to question things that are morally unjust. For your sake, be careful of the company you keep." She shivers at the warning in my voice, And as I leave, she can't meet my eyes.

* * *

Welcome, Jack. Please enter your password

Authorizing...

Accepted

Loading requested files: Deckeraudiolog 472,

Opening Deckeraudiolog 472:

"When the Titan program began 5 years ago, I was a naive man believing science was a grand and beautiful thing that would help everyone it came across. I soon learned that the ends can justify any means. The work we've done here so far has been too valuable to let morals get in our way. We will make sure that humanity has the respect it deserves with this project.

Mr. Weston is an intriguing individual. His scans show an impressive mental fortitude, and I've seen first hand over the past week of drills that he is enduring for someone of his stature, even more so impressive when I learned he is only fifteen. He has a remarkable will to survive.

The scans also revealed the other reason the mental probe was ineffective: Mr. Weston has Eezo in his system, but no implant. As such, it is undeveloped, and there isn't enough there to make him effective as a biotic. I'm only surprised that this has not been noticed before, but it shows no signs of harming him. However, it did give him a sort of passive resistance to biotics, which is highly fascinating. If we found a way to direct this ability, perhaps make a device that mimics this process, we could have another defense against biotic power.

But moving on. He is intelligent, fairly quick for his size, and he shows proficient abilities with the sniper rifle and pistol, as well as a decent grasp with the other standard weapons tested. Further training will bolster these traits and others. I've authorized the Phoenix Nanomites and Neural Optical Enhancer, and am considering the Neural Reflex Booster and Hypertrophy Regulator, as well as a Nociceptor Inhibitor. We will have to monitor the first two for signs of rejection or impairment. They're experimental, but they should give us good information for when we make better, safer models for soldiers.

I have decided to give Mr. Weston the title of Epsilon, and when he was informed of this he decided to be called 'Echo'. While I am unsure of it's ultimate meaning, It will suffice. For now, Echo is settling in with his bunkmates with no problems. Alpha, our longest-surviving test subject so far, has taken a particular interest in him. When asked, she simply said "It feels as though I should know him somehow" I will monitor their social interactions for any developments.

This is Dr. Francis Decker, Titan Research Center, February 2nd, 2177.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay guys, my weekend has been unfairly busy. As for questions a guest asked, all will be revealed in time, but for now we are in the dark as much as our protagonist.


	7. Exodus

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, and I make no money with this story.**

* * *

**A/N:** People of the Fanfiction Wasteland, you can seeeee me! YEAH BOY! You can't break this computer. I've fought off the attempts of the internet, and Of Soul and Steel has hit 1000 views. I'm celebrating with another chapter. Thank you all, and as always, let me know what you think about the story.

This next chapter's gonna speed up the timeline a bit. I'd initially wanted to write out in detail the sick things that would transpire in a place like this, but now I'm leaning towards it being told in more of a "This is what happened to me" to the major characters. The Shepard(M) tag isn't just there for shits and giggles. Their will be some Point Of View changes as the chapter develops, and we see a shift in character development. Let us commence with the tale. **Edit:** Read the logs in the voice of Liam Neeson, whom I also do not own.

* * *

_Titan Research Facility, Uncharted Area, Attican Traverse._  
_Dr. Decker_

Log 476, Dated February 28th, 2177_: "Our latest subject has been here for a mere month, and he has shown signs of extreme adaptability. The implants synchronized with his system with success. His body has shown an unusual lack of trouble integrating them; they've almost fused with him. I've forwarded the go ahead for the other implants._

_He's shown an adaptability to the different exercises as well, almost as though he knows what he's going to go through before he does it. Impossible, but it's just an observation. He has been a remarkable influence on the other subjects, becoming friends with each while the others simply accept each others presence. I will have to watch this closely, as friendship leads to unity, which leads to rebellion."_ End log.

* * *

(POV Cory)

I lie facedown on the bed in the Medical Office, Sasha examining the damage to my back.

"Well," She starts, "You have some lovely bruises, but you're gonna be okay. What happened?" She then asks, the concern breaking through her mask of indifference.

"They had me sparring with Ghost. He's a helluva biotic." I answer, wincing.

"I'm sorry Cory." She says, now more comfortable with my first name. "The things they make you guys do..."

"You know what the messed up part was?" I say. "They weren't even recording us this time. They were just.. Watching. Cheering as we tore each other apart for their amusement." I shiver a little as she applies Medi-gel to my aching back. "Please, Sasha.." I start.

"No, Cory. They'll make me disappear if I do what you asked." She says.

"Sasha, you have to help us, please. We're gonna be killed if this keeps up, You know that. I only need a few things." My eyes plead desperately with her, trying to show the pain in them.

"... Fine.." She answers, relenting.

"Thank you, Sasha. Thank you." I say as I get myself off of the table, limping. You have no idea how much you'll be able to help."

After I'm escorted back to the barracks, my posture straightens and the look of extreme pain slides off my face. Alpha approaches me, hopeful.

"It work?" She asks, not wanting to be disappointed. I simply nod, and she wraps her arms around me, nearly crushing me with her biotics as she gets too happy for her own good.

"Hey, I need that spine." I joke playfully, and she steps away, embarrassed.

"Sorry." I can see the blush on her face.

"It's fine, Alpha." I smile reassuringly. "Let the others know when they come back, even the new guy."  
"You sure?" She asks. "He seems.. Shifty, to me. Rude, and not at all willing to be helpful."

"I'll get him to come around." I assure her. "He's just been through hell, sure as I have."

"Maybe..."

"For now, lets just relax. I'm gonna try to sleep to avoid the pain."

"Really think that'll work?"

"Nah, but I dare to dream."

* * *

Decker Log 480, dated March 15th, 2177. _Our new subject, Sigma, or 'Shadow', has integrated well into the group as a whole. He remains by far our best-turned candidate, and will weed out any plans for attack. Subject Echo has been surprisingly resistant to the food-based and medical-based control drugs, but we are working on a slow takeover with luck. Delta has been resistant as well, but his size and existing implants already explain this. We will most likely have to dispose of him in the coming months._

_As for Alpha, the slow takeover is mostly complete. However, Echo remains an influence on her, and they often seek each others company to talk about their days. We will have to take action. With luck, we will break Echo's will as well._

_But for now, we simply monitor for change."_ End Log

Update Log 480.1, dated April 7th, 2177. _"This is an update on the monitoring done by Sigma. We searched for the items that were supposed to be there, but found nothing. The other four are now suspicious, and have seemingly stopped talking about their plans. Still have not traced where the supplies are coming from. We will have to take action. It is time for Alpha anyways._ End Log

* * *

(POV Cory)

"Ow."

"You should've jumped, Echo."

"Piss off, Delta."

We return to our barracks after our ungodly long training, only to find Alpha still gone. She'd left last night.

"No." 'There is no way.'

"Echo.." Delta tries to lay a hand on my shoulder but I immediately shrug him off. "Hey man, we knew that something was-"

"NO WE DIDN'T!" I explode, emotions starting to get the better of me. "She was fine yesterday, Delta! She would've said something if something was wrong."

"She did." I whip around, and Ghost is standing there, eyes down. "She told me that she felt off, and she's been here longer than any of us. I'm sorry, Echo." And it shows on his face the real sadness and pain that the man never shows.

"Dammit... GODDAMMIT..." I'm in a haze again, unable to accept what I already know. "Why didn't she tell me?.."

"Would you have said something if it was you?" Ghost asks, and I don't answer. I only look to Shadow, staring at what was Alpha's but with sadness.. and something else.

"It's time." I say suddenly, and the three look at me, surprised. I only nod my head in confirmation.'We will go after the final piece of the plan. It will take a while, but we need to move before more of us.. Vanish. Time to talk to Sasha.'

* * *

Decker Log 492. June 13th, 2177. _"As the remaining subjects go through further training, they grow more resistant to our containment techniques. We've amplified the available power in the restraint bands, but I'm not sure how effective it will be._

Decker Log 498. August 21st, 2177. _"We have them. Sigma tipped us off as to the escape day being today, though the exact_ _remains unknown. We have more than tripled the guard count. But I wonder if it will be enough. I wonder if we should just kill them now. We've pulled more information than we've dreamed, but it's ran its course on them. Only Sigma is loyal, and the others are far too dangerous now if they got out of confinement. I will await your instructions, as always. But please consider what I've said."_

* * *

(POV Cory)

It is time. Delta, Ghost, and Shadow are all in the barracks, and Sasha says she has the gear here in the medical office, but what she is saying now makes me think that she has spoken.

"They've increased the security measures, Cory. You can't do this."

"How did they know?" I demand, waiting.

"I don't know," She responds. "Look, the items are in here but I can't allow you to-" She stops as she sees me approaching her. "What are you doing?" she asks, face fearful.

"We have to get out, Sasha." I say. "And I can't let you stop us." She realizes what I mean, and frantically turns on my wristband. I feel the scorching pain, but it doesn't paralyze me as it has before. Panicking, she tries to run for the door, but I reach out and wrap my arm around her throat.

"I'm sorry." Is the last thing she hears before her neck snaps in one fluid jerk.

I move quickly now, using her Omni-tool to turn off my wristband, and open the locked closet. Inside is the chlorine bombs, the gas masks, and other essential items. 'Time for payback'. After putting the Omni-tool and mask on, and cutting the wristband off, which causes an alarm to start to blare, I dash.

I arm the bombs, placing one at the wristband and syncing it and the remaining one to Sasha's Omni-tool. I run to the subject barracks, and I hear guards converging on my band, and coming this way. I open the door, and the guys are quick to take their masks and put them on. Dropping another bomb here, I cut the wristbands before they can be activated, and I'm the last back out the door as the guards start to arrive. With only a moment's hesitation, I activate the bombs.

While the concussion force was was small, the gas rapidly spreads. At over 800 ppm, it was causing the guards to collapse after a few breaths. We sprint through the gas, but we're forced to split up as helmeted guards start to approach behind us. We created many secondary ideas and routes to the shuttles, and we're putting them to use. I run with Delta to the right as Ghost and Shadow head left.

The gas is starting to be pumped out as we run, and the two guards armed with Katanas that turn the corner we were about to go around. I'm on the first in a flash, shoving the man into a wall and using his own shotgun to scramble his skull inside his helmet. Delta takes a more hands on approach to the second man, grabbing the man's helmet and twisting it to the side with a resounding _crack_ before picking up his own shotgun.

Like that, we were armed.

We sprint towards the small shuttle bay, where many masked scientists are scrambling to get out of the facility. We largely ignore them, and manage to get on a space-worthy shuttle. While Delta fires it up, I activate comms on all frequencies, knowing at this point Shadow or Ghost would've picked up a radio.

"Sigma, Gamma, come in! Guys, we need to go now! where are you?" After a few moments, I get a response.

_"Epsilon, this is Sigma. We were cornered at the control room. Ghost.. He's gone. they're coming here to activate lockdown protocols... I'm going to stop them."_

"Sigma! Come on, you can get out of here man!" I'm screaming now into the comm. device as I hear gunfire pinging off of the shuttle.

_"No, I can't. Go, guys. Live on. I'm activating the destruct sequence on this place. It'll purge the whole facility in fire. A fitting end."_

"I.. I'm sorry Sigma."

"Cory.. Call me Kai."

I swallow hard before responding. "Goodbye, Kai." I turn to Delta, who sits in the pilot's seat, head bowed. "Let's go."

* * *

(POV Kai)

_"Goodbye, Kai."_

I turn to the body of Ghost. He never expected the shot in the back, it would seem. I turn to the purge console. While I could kill them all now, something stops me. I've grown to almost respect Cory, and it holds me back. Instead, I activate the purge controls, protected by the only safe room in the facility. 'A fitting end for the sick bastards here. We will meet again, Echo.'

* * *

(POV Jack)

"And the facility?"

"Intact, but the computer files were wiped. Most of the personnel were killed as well, unable to complete launch procedures."

"Many files were sent here well beforehand. While the outcome was regrettable, Project Titan has given us a lot of important data towards making our soldiers more capable."

"Sir, we also recorded that the files pertaining to the last four subjects were copied onto an Omni-tool. Should we send a recovery team after the escaped subjects?"

"No."

"Sir?"

"They won't go to any government to be put back in a facility. We can reach them if they do. They will go to ground, and it's not worth it to go hunting them as of now. Monitor if they try to track down anyone tied to Titan or us, but leave them be."

"Yes sir."

"And Miranda?"

"Yes?"

"Mr. Leng has proven himself once again. See to it that he contacts me directly."

* * *

**A/N: **Shit gets real. Next one will be up soon, never fear.


	8. Blood Has A Pricetag

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or any of it's characters or anything. And to get this out of the way now, I do not own any of the songs mentioned or their artists, including but not limited to: Eminem, Metallica, Ab-Soul, or Kendrick Lamar. I only have rights to my OCs, so if you use them at least be like "can I use these?"**

**A/N:** I feel like writing once more, so you guys get another chapter. I don't have a set schedule for new chapters right now, it's mostly whenever I have ideas about where I'm going. For now, I'm trying to shell out short chapters frequently, rather than long chapters once a week.

And now, I'm going to tell some tales of intrigue, but I don't have six years worth of content to post beyond vague ideas. However, I have some to put to paper, and the rest will be more timeline. I may fill in some more of these vague ideas at a later date. But enough babbling. Enjoy.

_Omega, Sahrabarik_ _System, Omega Nebula _

_August 23rd, 2177._

Omega is in it's morning phase when we arrive, people bustling to get wherever it is they're going. We aren't given much thought despite our blood-stained clothing and Delta's massive frame, which I guess must be more common on Omega than we considered. We sell the shuttle to a random salesman who didn't question it's condition, and get enough credits to purchase some clean clothing, as well as a temporary apartment. Once we're inside, we nearly fall over from exhaustion.

"Man, I feel like shit. But soo good." Delta rambles.

"I know what you mean man. we're free. Really free." I ramble back.

"You think so man?"

"Yeah, I do." We sit in silence for a while, savoring the taste of freedom, mixed with a bitter grief at what it cost us. Delta breaks the silence first.

"So, what now?"

"I got into contact with a friend on the way here." I say. "He said that he could get us some credits, as well as a new line of work, if you're interested."

"Well, I can't go back to the Alliance, considering I was grabbed off of a damn base. Your friend sounds like he's looking out for us. How do you know him?" Oh boy.

"We have a.. Complicated history. And I'm not very happy with him as of late." I reply. He seems to accept this.

"Alright. So what are we waiting on?"

"A knock on the door." I answer sarcastically.

Only to hear a knock on the door.

... Dammit.

I get up and answer it, greeting my least favorite Salarian.

"You little shit."

"I know," He answers."But you know I couldn't get involved. It would've caused a whole lot of problems."

"And the other stuff?" I ask. "I read the medical reports Mr. Spook." He smiles at the name.

"There were certain things I could affect, without drawing attention to myself. And I did." He explains vaguely, walking in. "Nice place."

"It's temporary." I turn to Delta. "This is the guy I mentioned."

Delta nods. "I heard you have an opportunity for us."

"Of sorts." He responds. "You two know of the Shadow Broker." We nod. "He has a massive network of informants, spies, mercenaries, and assassins. I've recommended you both very highly to him, and he learned of your previous captivity. He's offered to deny any who try to learn about you, as well as a paycheck in exchange for.. Your abilities."

"Wow. How highly did you recommend us?" Delta asks.

"I just shared some of the medical files and combat reports Cory forwarded me. The Broker believes you two are very capable, and would like to put this to the test." I consider this.

"When do we start?"

"Tomorrow. He has sent ahead some durable, functional weapons and armor in a gesture of goodwill."

"Seems like he's taking a big gamble." Delta interjects. "And how do you know all of this, anyways?"

"My employers are powerful people, Mr. Yusarn. They've worked with the Broker before." I chuckle at the mention of Delta's last name, which causes him to flinch.

"I guess we don't have much choice." Delta says.

"Well, we could simply pay the Broker to keep you two off record, but this arrangement is far simpler. And the Broker pays the most in terms of salary. You two could become trusted agents."

"Well," I start. "It could be our best course. What do you think Delta?"

"I think that it could be a good arrangement, for now. Be sure to let him know that we don't plan on anything permanent, or killing any good people." He directs this last statement to our houseguest, and I nod at it.

"I will make sure he understands this." He promises. "For now, get some rest, and the gear should be here in the morning." With that, the man leaves, once more leaving me with many questions and little in the way of answers.

The next morning, we find a large crate waiting for us in a package center a few blocks away. After carting it from the UPS-esque building to our apartment. Inside, we find two sets of black armor, tailored to our body sizes, two weapon packs containing Avenger and Scimitar-style weapons for Delta, and Predator, Mantis, and suprisingly, Shuriken-style weapons for myself. 'Guess subs had some popularity before 2185.' Each weapon was a crimson color, stamped with the Elkoss Combine logo. The armor was similarly stamped on the interior.

It also contained two Omni-tools, a Logic Arrest for Delta, though mine was a _Savant_ due to the training I'd gotten in using them. "Fancy gear." I comment, nearly drooling, and Delta nods approvingly.

"Expensive too. You have some good friends, Echo."

"I guess this makes up for them being assholes."

The next item in the crate was a datapad, containing an audio file from our newfound employer.

* * *

_**"Echo, Delta. This is the Shadow Broker." **_The voice sends chills up my spine. I knew the creature that makes that sound._**" Important people have told me you can be depended on to get things done. This first assignment will see if this is so.**_

_**"You are to bring down a local criminal ring on Omega, who have been pushing tainted Eezo to the Eclipse and Blood Pack mercenaries. The removal of this ring and their products will bring you significant compensation. The details are on this datapad and will delete an hour after they are opened. Shadow Broker, out."**_

* * *

"Wow," Delta says. "We have something big here, man. We could get whatever we want with someone like this on our side." I nod, starting to read the information listed.

"We can do this, Delta." I say, looking at our objective. "We're not running scared anymore. We're well-equipped," I motion towards our care package." And we have more than the ability to use them now. We will prove ourselves here." He nods, and starts to read over the datapad himself. Delta is a huge guy, but he's deadly intelligent in the art of warfare as well now. I can see the smile on his face start to spread as the plan forms.

"Well it sounded good in my head."

"Delta, I nearly had my face taken off!"

"You're fine. You lived."

* * *

(Undead POV)

"Time for things to move towards awesomeness."

Subject: Cory Weston, A.K.A. Epsilon, A.K.A. Echo, and known associates.

Files: movements and activities

Restrictions: As per agreement, only SB, UKXZ, and fans who review requesting the files to be written in detail have access to these files. Unauthorized access is prohibited and punishable by Hanar hit squads.

_August 24th, 2177: The mission is completed successfully, the ring eliminated and the warehouse containing the tainted Eezo destroyed. Operatives Delta and Echo are uninjured. Payment forwarded to relevant agents for delivery._

_August 30th, 2177: Operatives request apartment on Citadel in exchange for another assignment. Request is granted upon completion of objective, the removal of a varren infestation caused by Blood Pack mercenaries running an extortion ring on Omega residents._

_September 22nd, 2177. Operative Echo makes a name for himself by saving a Volus from a Human assassin._ Accessing relevant data... Received.

* * *

(POV Cory)

Me and Delta have been on the Citadel for a little over three weeks now. We live in a functional 3-bedroom apartment on Aroch Ward, which I didn't know existed until we had the place. The game hadn't gone into the names of every Ward, so I am interested in the previously unexplored zones. I find that the wards are all set up similarly to Zakara Ward, but concentrate slightly more on certain things. For example, Tayseri Ward is more accommodating to the arts, while Aroch has a focus on residential areas, meaning many on the Citadel lay their heads down here to sleep.

It's on one of my exploration trips that I find someone having a bad day.

I see a Volus desperately trying to run, while a man in black armor is pursuing him. The crowds of Zakara are bowled over by the armored man, who is rapidly closing on the Volus. I step into the man's path slightly as I see him pulling a Carnifex-based pistol from his hip. I let the Volus move past me, and just as the Human is about to pass, I simply extend my arm out. The sprinting man's unarmored throat slams into my extended forearm, and the combination of his own momentum and my rigid posture sends him tumbling to the ground. A boot to the side of the head sends the man to la-la-land.

"Thank.. Thank you.." The Volus says, wheezing even more than usual. "Who.. are you?" He asks in between breaths.

I look back towards the people who were starting to gather. "An echo of the people who used to help others." I say, glaring a little at the people who didn't even question the odd chase.

Well... Then.. Echo... My name is... Rupe... I thank you... Once again... For your help." he says, starting to catch his breath.

"Don't mention it." I say as I start to walk on.

"Oh, but I will... Mention it." He says."My last name... Is what you should... take notice of. It is... Elkoss, and I promise.. Echo of Citadel, I wont forget... What you've done for me here."

I turn back in shock. "I didn't recognize you, Sir."

"Please... Call me Rupe... Take care, Echo."

Later that day I find my actions all over the news: 'Unknown man saves Elkoss Combine C.E.O.' I smile at this. 'I've actually done something helpful.' I consider this. 'I have been taught to be cold, ruthless, a murderer, both by those as Titan, and by circumstance. But I still want to keep my morals. For everything I've been through, can I still call myself a good person?'

End file.

* * *

_October 1st, 2177. Operative Delta tasked with clearing Red Sand distribution center in Zakara Ward while Echo provides overwatch. Group disbanded, rival group seized product and paid for work done. Echo makes objection to the conclusion._

_November 15th,2177. Operative Echo tasked with stealing Asari artwork from private owner on Bachjret Ward. Had to forge underworld connections to get Echo to do the job. _Accessing relevant data... Received.

* * *

A/N: Always good times. I split up this chapter and to preserve average chapter length. I will continue with more soon. Stay tuned!


	9. New World Industries

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. I also do not own Assassin's Creed, or Dishonored, which will be referenced in this chapter.

* * *

A/N: Welcome back all! Good to see you. To answer the guest who duplicated his review like a weirdo, I have no idea. Nothing is written in stone. Shepard will probably have somebody, cos it's Shepard, but my character... No clue. Wait! He will have a harem of female Batarians! No, no... That's ridiculous. Wait and see. And Cf96, glad you you like the story. Now, enjoy.

* * *

You would think, that security would improve in two century's time. And you would be right, usually. But the building I enter is conspicuously quiet. No alarms, no cameras active, no guards. It's my lucky night it would seem.

Nevertheless, I move quietly, my dark clothing indistinguishable from the shadow. The fancy night vision glasses SB got me make everything crystal clear as I approach the particular painting. While nondescript, it's apparently one of the most expensive items here. After scanning for the security devices that weren't there, I get my hands around it just as a voice speaks behind me.

"Stealing is wrong you know." I smile at that voice, and my hand moves away from my pistol.

"That's rather amusing, coming from you..." I say, turning around. "Kasumi." Sure enough, the hooded, though not in her trademark outfit, woman flinches.

"How do you.." She looks fully at my face as I tilt my hood back. "Cory?" Suddenly, I'm assaulted by a half-hug, half-strangle by a teary-eyed Asian girl. "What.. What happened? Where did you go? I tried to ask the port security and they said you didn't exist!"

I smile at her concern, but motion towards her."First things first. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, this?" She says, a grin on her face. "Just a little moonlighting. You?"

"A shadowy friend wants this painting." I point to the one I was about to take.

"Ah." She says, looking it over. "Appropriately expensive. I'm here for a strange little piece from Earth. Care to tag along?" She asks, eyes full of mischief now.

"Sure." I smile, already rolling up the small painting before carefully placing it in my bag.

As we walk, I try to fill her in on all that has happened over the last year. She stands nearly agape at the end, and hardly believes a word of it.

"It's true," I tell her. "You can ask my roommate once we're done here."

"Oh, you guys are roommates, huh? I should've figured."

"Hey!" I protest, and I see the humor in her eyes. "You're not as funny as you'd like to believe, miss Goto."

"No, I'm funnier." She responds. "Here we are." We've reached a lot of older-looking items, perhaps from the 1800's, and Kasumi looks like a kid in a candy store as she stares at the items.

"What were you here for?" I ask.

"Just some fancy blade that was made a few hundred years ago," She says, still looking around." A large switchblade, in a way."

"What, that thing?" I point to the weapon mounted over some other items along the far wall?"

"Looks like it." She says, moving towards it. "The Turian who hired me said the Turian who owns all this bought it along with some other items from a Human he was planning on buying it from, and now he's getting it for a far better price. He only wanted the blade apparently."

I nod, not really paying attention. The things here.. I realize after a moment the irony of our coming here. "Kasumi." I say, and she looks at me. "These are not hundreds of years old."

"What?" She asks.

I nod towards the blade. "That is from a video game from only about 160 years ago. It's not something from actual history." I examine the other things here. "These aren't authentic items." My inner geek is smiling at the gear though, nearly drooling.

"Hmm, so what is this stuff?" She inquires.

"Well, that blade and outfit is from a game called Dishonored," I point towards the blade she was sent to get. "And these are from a game called Assassin's Creed." I motion towards the white and red outfit, along with the dual Hidden Blades under it." It would appear your Turian friend wanted to buy something that is merely a prop."

"Not a prop," She says, pulling it off of the wall and examining it. "It's genuinely sharp, but not exactly historical." She says, shrugging." But, what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Fair enough." I nod, smirking. " I think I'll take these." I motion towards the remaining items, stuffing the outfits in my now full bag and attaching the blades to my wrists for lack of a better place to carry them. I flex experimentally, and the blades shoot out, extending three inches past my fingertips and slicing my right ring finger open in the process. "Dammit!"

Kasumi just laughs at my misfortune, but freezes up when lights start to come back on in the gallery-esque room. I only have time to clean up my bloodstain before she's tugging me back towards the exit. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"I had rigged the power systems to stay off." She explains, starting to run. "But not for long."

I pale slightly. "So we've overstayed our welcome?" An alarm starts to ring.

"That answer your question?" She says.

* * *

The best way to see Bachjret Ward is while sprinting through it. Being chased by a half-naked Turian only made it more fun. We manage to outrun him, but continue to run. I'm following Kasumi, and we end up on the Presidium, though we must've run for at least a half hour. I'm sweating bullets, Kasumi the same, as we slow down by the lake. Our respective hoods are down and I'm starting to walk towards her when she suddenly spins around and presses her lips to mine.

Shock doesn't begin to describe my emotion right now, but the adrenaline of the moment causes me to wrap my arms around her, bringing her close. Nobody looks twice at the curious couple kissing by what is considered to be a romantic spot on the Presidium.

* * *

I wake up the next morning, remembering the crazy night. After our shared moment, or hour perhaps, we break away, flushed and embarrassed. After an exchange of Omni-tool information, she was off, though perhaps with a slight spring in her step. Could've been my imagination, though.

I deliver the painting to the drop-off, and receive probably a fraction of what the painting is actually worth, but still a hefty sum. I keep the gear as curios, though I'm determined to learn the Blades I've wanted to own since the beginning of the series. They're a mixed pair, one the infamous leather bracer of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, The other the right bracer of Ezio Auditore. Extremely well-made reproductions, they're made of stronger stuff than iron or steel. 'My nerdgasm must be a sight to behold.'

The outfits themselves are Corvo's outfit, complete with mask and hood, and the outfit that Ezio wore in the events of the second game. I'm looking over them in more detail when Delta comes in.

"A good night then?" He questions, looking at my smiling face. I nod, showing him my acquisitions. "Looks expensive. All together more expensive than what you were actually hired to get."

"Probably. But, I'm going to have a lot of fun with it." I say, the smile on my face telling all.

* * *

End file.

_November 30th, 2177. Put operatives Echo and Delta in contact with a Krogan weaponsmith on Kiothi Ward. Though surprised at the state of his shop, they learned that Ravanor Granith is an extremely capable and amicable smith. Future weapon's contracts will go through him. Small finder's fee taken for business._

_January 19th, 2178. Echo states off-handedly that it is his birthday. Later that day, Kasumi Goto arrived with a package from 'a friend'. Package contained items dating to before Echo's capture. Echo thanked her awkwardly, distracted by something on his mind. Previous interaction between the two likely caused awkwardness. Note: still have not been able to investigate this Salarian or his mysterious 'employers' to my liking._

_February 15th, 2178. Echo releases a song onto the Galactic Music Network. The song, titled 'Stereo', hits over 15,000,000 hits in a little over a day. The music is something reminiscent of music on Earth pre-suppression, and many are amazed at the song's lyrics. Echo shows shock at the popularity, and receives many messages on his network account with questions, as well as offers for the production of more music. Note: investigate source of music._

_March 1st, 2178. Operatives Echo and Delta have assisted on several small operations, and are more than ready for more. Echo in particular shows a skill for low-profile missions, while Delta has a more high-profile skill. Will assign Echo to more assassination work, and Delta to enforcer/power play work._

_March 15th, 2178. Echo goes to Granith with a design for an armored outfit fusing together the hood of the outfit he referred to as Corvo's, and a less-flashy version of the outfit he referred to as Ezio's, with the ability to be less noticable. Granith delivers, providing an outfit made of ballistic cloth with hardpoints along the chest, legs, arms, and shoulder, as well as creating an optical illusion that makes people's eyes instinctively move away from the outfit, forcing someone to focus on something other than it. Will ask Granith for design specs._

_Echo also questions the make-up of the blades he found, and Granith reveals they are a titanium alloy, with tungsten-carbide cores, creating very durable blades._

_April 17th, 2178. Operatives Delta and Echo have been completing their jobs with relative ease, gaining a reputation among certain circles for their skill. Echo, in particular, gained notice of fellow assassins for killing a Hanar surrounded by Drell bodyguards on Kahje. The ensuing chase left all six guards with various cuts and stab wounds from his Hidden Blades when they had surrounded him and believed him unarmed. each guard was disabled but not killed._

_In the last month,Echo has also released three more songs from an archaic music player that somehow survived the suppression. With the surprisingly-massive profit he received from the releases, he buys a small-time music production business based on the Citadel and renames it New World Industries. Invested heavily in this N.W.I. on the prediction it will continue to produce massive revenue. Also masked all signs of any of this new music having already existed._

_July 22nd, 2178. Many aspiring musicians are contracted to sing and perform under the flag of N.W.I. Most accept, and quickly learn the songs written. N.W.I. is one of the fastest-growing producers in Citadel Space, with a rapidly-growing fanbase._

_October 20th, 2178. A group calling themselves "Followers of the Echo" has been causing a huge stir in Council space, dressing up as the now-infamous hooded assassin, and officials make several false-arrests on these individuals on Earth and the Citadel. Nobody is certain what the actual outfit is now of Echo. Most assume when they see him that it is merely another pretender._

_January 21st, 2179. Echo refuses a lucrative assassination contract, saying "This is one day no more blood will be on my hands."_

_April 14th, 2179. Alliance believes operative Echo responsible for death of several senators. They send an N7 assassination team after him and Delta, who evade the four N7s for 2 days on Omega, where they were completing a contract. The two are cornered in the mines, only to disable them and force them into an abandoned apartment, locking the door. Two days later, Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett receives a message saying the true assassin was found by Echo and Delta. All charges are dropped, and a working relationship forms between Echo and Hackett in secret._

_November 30th, 2179. In a chance encounter, operatives Echo and Delta are in Asari space when Councilor Tevo's ship is assaulted by Asari extremists. Echo and Delta board the ship, taking down the extremists, and earning the gratitude of the Asari Councilor, as well as a vacation on Thessia, all expenses paid._

* * *

"Man, are we lucky or what?" I look to Delta.

"Hell yes we are." I reply. "This is just what I needed."

"Well then," He says. "Let's have a night on the town." We move towards what qualifies as downtown Serrice.

* * *

"Ow, what did I do last night?" are the first words out of my mouth as I open my eyes. "Okay, Delta and I went out to some Asari club, we got drunk, danced," I shiver slightly at this. "And we... Where am I?"

"My apartment, silly." My jaw drops at the stunning Asari in the doorway, and her utter lack of clothing makes me realize my own.

"Uhh.." I say, ever the charmer. She just giggles a little, and climbs in the bed behind me.

"You can't tell me you don't remember last night?" She says in my ear, her arms around my shoulders.

"It's coming back to me.. Bit by bit." I answer, trying to relax a bit. "I was just a bit.. Surprised."

"Well, I'm just going to have to make you remember."

I've never been more scared, in the best way possible.

* * *

_January 30th, 2180. Echo goes to Granith with a project; armor classifiable as super-heavy, but powered to offer the mobility of medium armor. Calling it 'Spartan' armor, Echo fills out a full list of design specifications (See attached file). The armor will take anywhere from 4-10 months for development, the materials to design some of the more unique features will take time to gather and be prohibitively expensive for normal people, but N.W.I. is now making enough to design it. _

_There are now over 40 songs to the label, all of them popular with many different groups. From rock to hip-hop, they are re-igniting a passion for music as a means of relaxation and escape._

* * *

A/N: I'd add more, but I got shtuff to do. So, review! I'll see you all tomorrow.

Edit: here is the specs for my new armor (Halo Reach because.)

helmet Commando Cbrn Cnm silver visor.

shoulders: left Recon right Odst

chest: Tactical/Recon

Wrist: UA Bracer

Utility: tactical trauma kit-

knee guard: Grenadier

Disclaimer again: I do not own Halo.


	10. More At Stake Than Pixels

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. I also do not own any of the music rights or their artists, I only reference them in this non-profit story. Dont hate.**

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! We hit over two thousand views at some point on this little story, which is 1,500 more than I actually expected. Cheers! As a side note, my author name, adding xz to the end, can be found on a popular gaming website that relates to pipes. I only have Left 4 Dead 2 right now, which I do not own the rights to, merely play, but plan on others. Hit me up for a game.

* * *

_March 6th, 2180. Operative Echo is asked by an acquaintence what he'd want to see on a shotgun. Echo responds he'd like something with more range and armor-piercing capabilities. When asked on how to make this possible, he suggests the ammo be cut into wedges instead of pellets. The idea, while strange, proves to be effective. The Eviscerator is scheduled to be mass-produced later this year. Echo is credited with assisting the design, and is given partial profit for all units sold._

_October 20th, 2180. Echo is tasked with the assassination of the current commander of Eclipse forces In the Terminus._ Accessing files... Complete.

* * *

I lay in wait, silent, as the patrol passes by. There are more mercs here then there was supposed to be. It makes my job more interesting.

I move like a spirit, felt by most but seen by none. Three fall to my blade before I reach the watchman, eyes unfocused. Lazy.

I end his shift, taking up my own watch on the field. There, 400 meters and closing, the Salarian was calmly looking over a shipment of some kind, weapons by the look of the warning labels. Unfolding the rifle on my back, I take a moment to admire the monster in my arms.

The Barrett M-107 was a popular heavy-caliber rifle in my time. With the popularity of mass-effect weapons, standard weapons fell to the wayside to make way for these new death dealers. However, the Krogan have always respected weapons no matter how they kill. I went to Granith with the idea, and he delivered in amazing style. Using a Krogan-based munitions mixture, I now held a rifle that could fire ten times with the force of an M-98 Widow. Lightweight, high-density materials meant it that it is easy to carry, though it can't fold up completely, only slightly folding into itself to be less cumbersome. The downside to it is the recoil, which could take off most people's arm, but I handle with enough ease due to my implants. All in all, it is a scary weapon.

Which the Salarian commander realized as what sounds like a cannon goes off along the ridgeline, but the .50-caliber round that tears through his head ends all fear pretty quickly. The three rounds put into a refueling tank stationed next to several gunships cause a satisfyingly large enough distraction that anyone moving quickly enough wouldn't be noticed.

End File.

* * *

_January 19th, 2181. Operative Echo is unreachable for three days, which consist of his birthday and the days after it. Questioning Delta who took his place on mission revealed that someone he cared about died in that timeframe. He ignores all who try to speak to him, including Delta._

_March 20th, 2181. Lidria Iallis, an Asari that operative Echo 'spent time with' during his vacation, seeks him out on the citadel._

* * *

"Cory!"

I look in the crowd, and sure enough, Lidria is there. I smile slightly, uneasy with the sudden need to speak to me. I'm in my usual outfit; blue camo hoodie with some black cargo pants and sneakers. Strange to most on the Citadel, but they're comfortable.

She leads me to a small restaurant before sitting down, motioning for me to sit down.

"It's been a long time. How are you?" I start off.

"I've been well." She answers, seemingly nervous. "Look, there's something I need to tell you. I know that you lead a pretty dangerous life, and I'm not telling you this as some ploy to get back together with you, I just thought you should know." I look at the picture she's holding, a baby Asari.

"Cute kid. Yours?" She nods, but continues to speak.

"Yes... And yours."

Wat.

"Ajsdnyhfru?."

She seems scared now. "Well.. I hit my matron stage a few years ago, and when I looked into your mind, I couldn't get through. But I could feel that you were someone special, someone gifted."

"So.. So what.? You wanted my genetic makeup? Do you realize how insane that is?" My voice rises slightly, more out of shock than anger.

"It's not like that... Not really. I should've asked first, I know. Look, you don't have to worry about raising her. Most Asari raise their children alone anyways, and-" She's cut off by my hand raised to pause her.

"Look.." I begin, taking a deep breath." If this is my daughter, then I want to be apart of her life, in whatever way I can. I owe her that much to be a better parent than what I had."

"Really?" She asks, and I nod. " I didn't think.. You'd actually care."

"You must've met some shitty Humans then, in your time." I answer.

"Or just no great ones." She responds. "I wasn't going to tell you at first, but... I had twins, and one of them didn't make it. I figured.. You deserved to at least know. I know you're young, and frankly, I don't want my daughter to be raised by a merc.. But, I think in a few years you'll either be more mature, or dead. By then, she'll be old enough to recognize you."

I don't know what hurts me more, her wanting to completely to completely cut me from the equation, or my ability to nearly accept that right off. "Look, allow me to help you. I can get you anything you need-"

"I already have enough Cory. You're a great guy, and I respect you, but please accept my decision on this."

"... No."

"No."

"I want to be apart of her life, at least a little. Give me that." She looks at me a long moment before answering.

"Okay." I nod.

"So, what's her name?"

"Lettiandra." End file.

* * *

_August 25th, 2181. Operative Echo shows signs of a disease currently extinct on Earth, Tuberculosis. Medical scans confirm this is not the case, but he continues to cough up blood and experience pain. He has started taking an synthetic pain reliever that hasn't affected his abilities._

_November 10th, 2182. Operatives Echo and Delta attract the attention of other highly skilled mercenaries, forming a small alliance of five individuals, Echo and Delta included. Delta call the group 'Echo Rho Tau', mostly to annoy Echo, but it sticks._

_January 26th, 2182. Studies confirm Echo's condition linked to his implants, an embedded kill-switch. The more injuries he sustains, the faster his condition will take affect, ultimately leading to massive internal hemorrhaging. The implants are also linked to too many of his organs; to remove them now would kill him. I have not told him the extent of this danger. At his current rate, this will kill him in 10 years._

_February 20th, 2182. The Spartan armor, after long delays of getting it to Echo's exact specifications and Granith's not accepting anything but exactly what Echo wanted, is complete. A similar suit is being designed for Delta, though it will be easier to complete using the schematics of Echo's set._

_April 14th, 2182. At the insistence of Kasumi Goto, Echo releases a new style of music he previously wouldn't. He also does these songs in person, with a surprising amount of accuracy. He performs in the studio under the name of Marshal Mathers. The first song, "Mockingbird" goes to the top of N.W.I. charts. The actual song has been changed slightly, relating to Echo.  
_

_July 16th, 2182. Echo's new suit earns fame as he and Delta bring down a slaving ring alongside Kasumi Goto. He is described by some slaves as "a dark avenger in black armor." Kasumi took several of the youngest to safety while he and Delta clear the ship the slaves were being held on, with no friendly casualties._

_September 15th, 2182. Echo takes time out of his new training program to visit his daughter for her birthday. Her mother is still hesitant about Echo's involvement, but cares about him enough to respect his wishes._

_December 18th, 2182. Echo's condition has become more frequent, but he has stopped taking the pain reliever, calling it "addicting', and causing him to be emotionless at times. _

_E.R.T. gains notice as a very highly-skilled group of mercenaries._

_January 30th, 2183. As per Echo's request, he has been receiving reports of Pilgrimage movements from the Migrant Fleet. Upon reading the latest list, he asked for a audio call. Granted, he said that while he appreciated the work I sent his way, he couldn't currently take on any more work. He said that he was respectfully stepping down from being an operative. I let him go graciously, and Delta too. As per agreement, his 'friend' is now paying to keep his information largely secret._

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry if I've been rushing the story a bit, but it is as I stated previously. I will go back and add chapters to the backstory era if it is so requested. We are getting into the big leagues now guys and gals(?). Let me know what you think, one way or another.


	11. A Fateful Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, or anything to do with it. I'm not making profit off of this story.**

* * *

**A/N:** how's it going guys, I'm here with another chapter of the story. Things get into the big leagues, and I'll try to make the story canon enough to be Mass Effect but adding my own flavor to it. And as for my character, he may be skilled, but do you think that a person who's been through as much as him is all there? Things will not be a simple walk in the park. I hope I do the combat justice. Also, a guest reviewed asking about a cliffhanger[?] all will be revealed... Probably. Edit: Added a mostly irrelevant point to the timeline at this time concerning my favorite artist. Labeled April 14th, 2182.

* * *

_Aroch Ward, Citadel._

_February 7th, 2183._

As I look into the mirror, a man who looks like he's seen hell stares back out at me. A blade scar cutting from right eyebrow to an inch below his eye, a wide scar over his lip on the left side, and eyes that look thousands of years old. A lean-looking 6'1", a surprising 200 pounds of muscle and skin, he looks a lot leaner than he is. The brief look of the additional scars and tattoos across his body before the shirt goes on suggests an active life for his 21 years.

"For all I've been through," I mutter to myself. "I'm nervous about this. I have a mixed rep, and if Shepard is a tightass paragon, I doubt I'll make the cut. Hope to god he's not some white knight." I amuse myself with this statement. "I'm long past hoping to Him for anything."

I don my customized gear, the white now faded and red lining replaced with a silver. the bracers, at least, I've kept in peak condition, and I had a third made from the design of the second, for emergency replacements. I am ready for this.

"Delta." I greet him as I walk out of the bathroom.

"Echo." he responds. We know each other's names, but rarely use them these days.

"So you're certain you won't accompany me?" I've asked him before if he'd want to help me on this, without revealing the fact that I know exactly what is going to happen.

"You know why man." He says."I'm not exactly a friend of the Alliance anymore. They either think I'm dead, or a deserter. It wouldn't work out, brother." I nod, accepting this.

"If all goes according to plan, I'll be traveling all over, stopping the end of the galaxy." I say dramatically.

"You really believe that, huh?"

"Yup."

"well, have fun. Don't forget to write!" He calls as I head out the door, and I shake my head.

As I walk towards the rapid transit, I consider my plan of action. I could hang around Dr. Michel's office, or even the C-Sec offices. My next thought makes me smile.

'Or, I could go get drunk.'

* * *

Chora's Den isn't a very refined establishment, but that fact made the bad guys open about their business. I watch the comings and goings of the people, brushing off the waitresses/dancers, the look of a pleasant buzz obscuring my alert eyes.

"Hey." I look up at the Turian staring down at me.

"Yeah?"

"I could use your help on something. You look like a capable guy, considering the pistol tucked in your jacket." My lips quirk at this. "Yeah, I saw. I do the same thing." he says. "Assassins know how to spot assassins better than anybody. You busy?"

"Depends on what you need." I say carefully.

"Well, me and a buddy are trying to track down these two suit rats," He gestures to the other Turian at the bar. "And this is too important to mess up. So, here." He sends a message to my Omni-tool. "If you're around the lower part of the Ward later, just message me. We might need back up, just in case."

"And if I help?"

"Then you'll get a cut of the action."

"How much?" He smiles.

"10,000 credits."

"Must be important." I say.

"It is."

"Then you wouldn't mind sparing 15." His smile drops.

"Fine, 15. But only if we need you."

"I'll be around." Fate, it seems, is a funny thing.

* * *

"You rang?" I answer.

_"Yeah! Stupid little.. The bitch is heading your way. She torched Jacobus! Look, stop her, and you'll get his cut. Just do it!"_

"I'll be waiting." I answer.

The marketplace down here was a mass of people buying, selling, haggling. A Yahg could charge through with barely any notice. So when a Quarian clutching her side tried to come through, nobody payed any real attention. I shake my head at this, and intercept her.

"let go of me!" She growls in her accented voice as I pull her into the alley, before slumping against the wall, obviously exhausted.

"Hey!" I answer, looking at her. "I'm saving your ass, so calm down." I look toward the crowd, spotting the Turian I spoke to earlier heading our way.

"Man, I'm glad you found her." He starts, relaxing. "I wasn't sure if you would-_**Huurk!"**_ The sound that comes from him is far less relaxed as my left blade plunges through his throat. I drag him farther into the alley, wiping blue blood from my blade as I walk back towards the Quarian.

"You can trust me, miss." I extend my hand to her. She takes it shakily, so wobbly on her feet I have to get her right arm around my shoulders, and assist her in moving. "Come on, I know someone who can help."

* * *

"Chloe."

"Cory! What happened?" I am greeted by Dr. Michel, one of many doctors I've seen over the past year.

"She was shot, Chloe. Some bad people are trying to track this girl down." I answer, gently setting the girl down on a bed.

"Well, you've come to the right place." She says, immediately seeing to her patient.

"I thought so," I say, smiling. "For your trouble." I set a credit chit down on the nearby table.

"I don't want your money, Cory." She chides me.

"Well, it's not for helping her." I answer. "I'll need some medical equipment. My emergency supplies aren't going to cut it for what I have in mind."

"Oh?" She says, already looking too scold me again.

"Yeah, I need a better capacity, and I'm going to need some Dextro Medi-gel as well."

"O..Kay," She answers. "And what about her?" She gestures to the now unconscious Quarian.

"Give her my Omni-tool info after she comes to," I answer. "My emergency one. I need to check on something."

"You're not going to wait here?" She asks. I shake my head.

"Something has been set in motion here, Chloe. I've got to get to the bottom of it."

"You be careful, Cory."

"No promises, doc."

* * *

I sit back down in my spot at Chora's Den, calmly waiting as time goes on. Many hours spent looking through a scope has given me a patience I lacked when I was younger. Eventually, I see a red-armored Krogan walk in and two red and black-armored Turians walk out. 'Showtime.' I think, heading for the door.

I step out quickly, ducking behind the railing as gunfire starts to erupt. I wait a beat before rushing the armored men in cover, driving a blade through the back of the skull of the first before turning the second's face into shreds with my pistol. The fire from the group across the way stops, and as I carefully stand up, hands unarmed, I get my first look at Commander Shepard and company.

Kaiden Alenko and Ashley Williams look how I expected, only real. The Commander is a light-skinned, dark-haired man who looks like he has seen his own share of hell, with scars along his lips and eyebrow in the average configuration, and deep blue eyes, carefully assessing the situation. His eyes zero in on mine as he calls out.

"Thanks for the assist. Now, who in the hell are you?" Not a stick in the mud, then.

"A merc, Mr. Alliance." I answer. "You looked like you needed some help."

"I'm sure me and my people could handle it," He says, a smirk on his face. "But thank you."

"No problem." I answer, walking away.

"Hey," He says suddenly. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

"Nowhere, sir. Except the shadows." I answer cryptically as I move towards the alley.

Making up my mind, I simply wait for the pseudo-meeting to go down. Time seems to crawl by as I hear what sounds like more than three people marching towards Chora's Den on a mission. 'Things are coming to a head.' I think. I'm waiting for her to show in the alley, but am interrupted by my Omni-tool chiming. Confused, I answer it.

_"Hello?"_ I hear the accented voice again._ "Is this Cory?"_

"Yeah," I answer. "What's wrong?"

_"I was supposed to be meeting the Shadow Broker in the markets," _She says, which is different from my memory. _"But these thugs have showed up. Dr. Michel said I could trust you, so I need your help."_ My answer comes quick.

"Stall them, if you can. I'm on my way."

It's a short jog to the market that she mentioned, and it looks abandoned save the meeting happening now. Seven people, with two Turians, four Salarians, and a Krogan all looking as suspicious as can be in the empty market. On the other side, a Quarian who looks like she is going to fall over.

"Where is the Shadow broker?" She asks the Turian in front of her. "Where is Fist?" I tune out the rest of the transaction as I consider my options. With the conversation between the two ending, I move.

I take off at a run, using the crates along the wall as a runup to boost myself into the air. The flashbang I throw at the krogan catches him in the face as I land on two of the salarians, my blades finding purchase in their skulls. The M-84 goes off after I shut my eyes, and the resulting sound has my head ringing despite my earplugs. The other two salarians are rolling around in pain from the combination of the flashbang and the tech mine that was thrown at the end of the conversation, and the Krogan looks like he just woke up with a massive hangover, dead to the world. I sprint to the Turian grappling with the girl, slamming my blade home in the side of his neck, only to be grabbed from behind and choked by the other Turian. I'm struggling with him for a brief moment before a pistol goes off next to my face. On the other side is a trembling set of arms, attached to someone who looks like they only just realized what happened. As the Turian slumps to the ground, I gently guide the pistol towards the ground.

"Hey, look at me." I tell her. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." she answers shakily, Only for her eyes to widen. "Look out!"

I turn around to see an armored fist flying for me. I duck, grabbing the attached arm and twisting them over my head. As they hit the ground. I extend my blade an inch from their throat.

"Enough!" I hear the shout, looking up but finding it's not entirely aimed at me. "Williams, I told you to stand down." I look at the pink-armored figure below me, and I step away. She gets up before answering.

"I had to act, Commander. You heard what Fist said!"

"And you heard me say that that was the guy from earlier." Replies Shepard. "He could've killed you."

"Sorry commander." She replies. "I just.. reacted."

"I'm not the one you should apologize to," he says. He looks to me, and extends his hand, looking around at the dead or moaning thugs. "Looks like I owe you one, friend. Commander Matthias Shepard."

"Cory Weston." I say as I shake his hand. "And this is.. I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't catch your name?" I ask the Quarian girl standing there sheepishly.

"Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya." As they discuss the reason for the fight, I look at the others. Ashley looks pissed off, with Kaiden and Garrus looking nervous standing next to her. Wrex looks jaded to the whole mess, casually slamming his foot into the head of the now-stirring Krogan.

"And what about you?" I hear addressed to me.

"Hmm?" I answer eloquently." What about me?"

"He saved me here, Commander." Tali interjects. "He can fight, obviously."

"Well, Cory?" Shepard asks me, and I seriously consider it one last time.

"I know that something is going down here Shepard," I respond. "And I'd like to see it through, now that I'm involved."

"Okay." He answers, then speaks to the group at large. "Let's go make Udina's day." The little troupe falls out, and I walk alongside Wrex at the back, coming to a silent understanding. I'm surprised when Tali starts walking alongside me too.

"Thank you," She says. "Most wouldn't have stuck their neck out for a Quarian once, let alone twice."

"You'll find that I'm not like most people." I answer with a smirk.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, that'll do it for now. I'll have more up soon, but this one was running a bit long. As always, let me know what you think, and let me know if I've misspelled something or missed something in the plot on accident.


	12. Boarding Call

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mass Effect, or anything related to it. I make no claim of such.**

**A/N:** How is everyone this fine night? I thank everyone who's taken time to read the story so far, and I appreciate the additions to the alerts/favorites list. I also really appreciate everyone who's reviewed so far, I like feedback and it makes me glad to write the story. Special shoutout to XRaiderV1 and Cf96 for the consistent reviews, I will respond to most if not all questions, and if something really bugs you just PM me and I'll try to help. Read and enjoy! Edit: cleaned up a couple things last chapter. I don't always check my work thoroughly enough, so please let me know if you spot any errors, and I'll correct them. Thank you. Also asked about possible/probable pairings again. I'm just trying to make everyone a bit more involved right now. My character may be friendly with someone, but I feel it's more about giving each character a bit of personality.

_Presidium, Citadel._

It's a fairly short trip by rapid transit to the Emabassies, with two cars for the large group. I consider my possible squadmates as we head in. The two soldiers seem to be mistrustful, or downright hostile from what I've seen of Ashley. I've never been a fan of the Human race, though. Garrus seems like he's trying to place me from somewhere, Tali seems grateful for, but confused about my assistance. Wrex.. Is Wrex, though I get the feeling I'll have to prove my skill before I get any acknowledgement from a man who's been around since before Humans had even started questioning the universe as we know it.

As for Shepard.. I'm usually good at reading people, but he's not easy to understand. He watches all, while revealing nothing. It's similar to my only revealing what I want people to know, but some can see through that. Shepard reveals nothing, in any direction. It makes me nervous.

We start to move towards the Ambassador's office, and I'm wondering if I can not punch Udina in the face right off for simply being a pompous ass. 'We shall see'.

Pompous ass mode, go!

"Shepard, you're making my life difficult." I sigh a bit, opting to stare out onto the presidium than looking at Donnel. He seems to glance over at me before shifting focus to Shepard again. "Firefights in the Wards? An all-out assault on Chora's Den? and the people you're with. Krogan? Quarian? And I've got reports of.." He looks over at me, as if just noticing my existence. "Who are you, anyways?"

"Ambassador, I'm hurt." I reply, smirking under my hood. 'Time to be dramatic.' "I'm not even on a watchlist? I haven't been doing my job properly." I cross my arms, unleashing the blades that are synonymous with my name. The look on his face is absolutely priceless, and I only wish I could take a picture without ruining the effect.

"You!"

"Me."

"S-shepard, do you know who this is!? This is Epsilon! He is an _assassin_! And you brought him here?!" Ashley is edging her hand to her hip for a gun, but Shepard stops her, a peculiar smile on his face.

"I thought he might be.." He murmurs. "But he's also one of your best friends right now Ambassador." He gestures to Tali." He saved her life, and with it, evidence of Saren's actions." As they launch into what I already know, I watch the good Ambassador turn from ass to politician mode. With a small flourish, he's running off to present the evidence, with Shepard asking if I want to accompany him.

"I'll pass,"I say. "The Council has very mixed feelings concerning me. I'm assuming you're going to be tracking down this rogue Spectre?"

"Not sure, to be honest. Why do you think I'll be the one?"

"Call it a gut feeling." I respond. "I need to do some things, but I can meet you somewhere."

"Okay, SSV Normandy, Alliance docks. That's where most of this lot is going to wait while Tali presents the evidence to the Council."

"I'll be there."

I head back to the apartment, Delta greeting me with a smirk.

"Didn't make the cut?" He asks.

"I did, actually. Came by to pick up a few things." I reply, gesturing towards our armory.

"Wait, seriously?" I nod. "Wow.."

"Indeed." I say, packing things into their crates and getting them ready to move.

"So, you're going to be saving the galaxy, huh?" He asks.

"Probably nothing as dramatic as that, but you never know."

"Some would say you lead a strange life." I smile at this.

"I don't think our lives have ever been what you'd call 'normal'."

"Fair enough." He looks out the window. "This could be your chance to do something great, Cory. Try not to get your head blown off without me there to watch your back."

"Oh, you know me Dom," I say. "The bullets are my friends."

"Hopefully, they don't get too friendly." He says as I wheel my gear out of the door.

"That's a fair amount of gear there, _Epsilon_," Garrus remarks as I push the cart out of the elevator. "You're bringing all that aboard?"

"Nope, just to sit on. And I typically go by Cory, or Echo." I reply cheerfully, parking the cart and gesturing to one of the crates, which he sits down on. I sit down on another. "Where's Shepard?"

"Still with the Council, I would think." We shoot the breeze for awhile, commenting on the Normandy and our respective lines of work, which doesn't seem to bother him too much, until Shepard comes off of the elevator with Anderson, Udina, and Tali in tow.

"All good, Commander?" Kaiden asks as they approach.

"Better than." He replies with a grin as he relays the news I fully expected. The others crowd around him while they listen, but Anderson approaches me.

"A word, if you could, Mr. Weston." I nod. "Hackett has told me some things about you, and he believes you are trustworthy. I'm hoping you're not going to prove him wrong." He says.

"Wasn't planning on it, sir." I reply respectfully.

"I've read up on some of the work you've done for him too. A lot was classified above my pay grade until Hackett forwarded me the files, but I know you're skilled. If you can help Shepard with this, I'll make sure you're well-compensated for your work."

I look at him, surprised. "That's not necessary, Captain." I respond, looking at the surprise on his face. "I'm not doing this for money."

"Then why are you doing it?" He asks, more out of curiosity than trying to be rude.

"There is something huge here, sir. I can feel it." I respond. "What we do in the coming days will most likely affect everyone in the Galaxy, Whether Shepard's vision was true or not."

"Then I'm glad you're coming aboard, son. You get results, and get them clean." He walks away to speak to Shepard as I join the rest of the group.

"You know the captain?" Kaiden asks me.

"In a sense." I respond.

"Hmm." Kaiden looks as though he wants to say something, but Shepard walks up.

"Okay everyone, listen up." And without fail, attention turns to him. "We are going to be chasing one of the Galaxy's most dangerous individuals. Anyone who wants to back away is free to do so." Nobody does, and Shepard smiles." Our only lead as of now is trying to track down the daughter of Matriarch Benezia. There will be a small stop along the way, but we will arrive in the Artemis Tau cluster in about four hours. For now, settle in on the ship where you're comfortable, and welcome to the Normandy."

A gorgeous ship, indeed. I've been on a fair few ships in the last few years, but the Normandy was a cut above. A state of the art warship, with high-quality equipment and personnel. A quick walkthrough of the first decks shows navy personnel hard at work doing their respective jobs, the pilot in particular a bit too busy to bother. As I walk down the stairs, I see Kaiden busy... Doing whatever it is he does in that corner. 'I need to figure that out'. I see Dr. Chakwas, but that's not a conversation I want to have right now. To the elevator!

Ugh. Three minute later, I step out into the cargo bay, scanning the room. Wrex is casually leaning against some crates, Ashley looks hard at work stripping an Avenger, Garrus is at his spot, but conversing with Shepard, and the Requisitions Officer is dozing in his little niche. Pretty standard, so I walk into engineering.

Seeing it with my own eyes, I found myself mesmerized with the Tantalus Drive Core. It is surprisingly relaxing, and I only snap out of my staring upon hearing a diminutive Quarian nearly interrogating an engineer of the specifications of the ship, I smile, but walk back out.

With little to do, I go over my equipment again. My armor is in top condition, muted green with dark underpoints and equipment. Gotta respect the classics. As for weapons, a Mantis-style sniper, with much better balance than in-game, two modified Carnifex-style pistols with the firepower and fire rate, an Eviscerator shotgun, with less power than it's cousin but still more dangerous than most shotguns on the market, and the extended sinks give me five shots. The last crate reveals my favorites and some modified grenades.

Besides my monster rifle, It also holds my FN P90 and Five-Seven. Like my M-107, they are heavily modified and made with this-era's polymers, combined with the new style of ammo to work on most planets organics can function on. They took a sizable chunk from my funds to develop right, but they're more than worth it. Their accompanying crates contain more than enough ammo for each weapon for at least a couple of months. As I pull some empty pistol magazines from the crate to load, Shepard approaches me.

"So, Cory. I see you're settling in." He gestures to the crates I've set in the corner, as well as a workbench.

"That I have, need something?" I ask, loading the 5.7 rounds into the mag.

"Just learning a bit about my new crew members." He responds.

"Well what would you like to know?"

"For starters, I'd like to know your combat proficiencies."

"Well, I'm a sniper by profession," I chuckle. "I've gotten good at that sort of thing. But I do well in hand-to-hand combat as well. I've got armor for dangerous situations, as well as this." I gesture to my current clothing. "And it's durable. I've learned to handle most weapons well, but I prefer my P90 in situations I would need an assault rifle."

"P90?" Shepard inquires.

"This," I say, raising it in my arms. "Is the FN P90. I can use it in much tighter conditions than an assault rifle, but it still has the power and range you can't find with a SMG. As such, I call it a Personal Defense Weapon, or PDW."

"And this," He looks towards to ammo crates. "They take actual ammunition? That's a bit archaic."

"If they used the traditional Human gunpowder mixtures. But, Krogan know how to put together weapons, of any kind. Trust me, they'll be as combat effective as any of your own weapons. Plus, I have the advantage of impact."

"Impact?" He questions.

"As you know, today's mass-accelerated weapons function on the principle of launching a grain of sand at extreme speeds," I start to explain, and Shepard nods. "The problem with that is you either punch straight through, doing little damage, or it fragments on impact, spreading the force onto the target but this can be mitigated by armor. With my rounds, they move slower, but the actuall mass is far larger by comparison. Most Armor is developed solely to deflect those bits of sand, but.."

"A larger round would punch right through, and deal massive amounts of damage to a target compared to others." Shepard finishes.

"The trauma of it can deal so much damage to an organic target that you don't have to fire many rounds," I say. " And it can disrupt enough functions of mechs and the Geth you fought to be useful in that category as well."

"Some good gear," Shepard concedes. "But expensive."

"Very. But worth it for someone like me, who only has to handle small-scale combat situations."

"Well, I won't be able to provide you with this equipment," Shepard says. "But that doesn't look like it'll be a problem. Can I ask you something else?"

"Shoot."

It goes on like this for a bit, first talking shop, then giving a bit of background information on my life. I tell him some fairly vague information, not revealing what happened to me when I came here or much before that. Shepard too, is an Earthborn, and relates his story of growing up in what used to be L.A.

"The roads we walk." I say.

"Quite," Shepard nods. "Alright, I need to gear up. I'm heading planetside with Alenko and Vakarian to check out an Alliance distress signal. Don't worry, the Mass Effect field will keep the cargo bay secured."

"Good luck, Shep."

**A/N: **I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. Real life has a way of kicking you in the groin and telling you to run laps. More to follow soon, I promise. I'm not giving up on this story.


	13. Feet-First Into Hell

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or any artists, or their music, mentioned in this story, and make no real-life claim to such.**

* * *

**A/N:** Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all! Glad you dropped by. I've got another chapter for you today. A reviewer made an excellent point to me regarding my use of conventional weaponry versus the Mass-Accelerated gear, and this is what I had to say on the subject: I appreciate the realism, and I understand that it would kinda be a screw-up. However, If you were to use a different kind of make-up for the gunpowder, something that humans would not be able to craft normally, it would give the rounds far more power. As for kinetic force, it's a mass times speed sort of thing. So, something with a higher mass but going at a slower speed can theoretically deliver the same amount of force, give or take. The manufacturing process of such a round would be expensive, but would have advantages. At least, that's how I interpret it. The literal function of kinetic shields in game is debatable, and some may interpret this differently but there is nothing concrete that says this is the science behind it. So I'm taking some liberty with it, but I appreciate the opinion :). I think the reasoning behind this is sound enough, and the reason others would stick to the standard gear would be that it's cost-effective. Kudos to Michae1ange1o for an impressive new idea concerning weapons tech. But enough babbling on my part. On to the story.

* * *

_Systems Alliance Space Vehicle Normandy Stealth/Reconnaissance-1_

_February 7th, 2183. 7:30 P.M., Earth Central Standard Time._

* * *

"You." I look up to find a massive face a mere foot from my own.

"Wrex." I say by way of greeting.

"You're Epsilon then?" I nod. "I expected something more impressive."

"Most think that, before they see my skill." I say evenly.

"Hmph," He grunts. "I've heard some things about you, but I don't believe a word of it now. You'll have to impress me, whelp, before I trust you in battle." I smirk at the testosterone almost dripping off of him in his statement, challenging me. Well, the Krogan equivalent at least.

"I don't need to prove anything, Wrex. You'll see my skill soon enough." I reply, not breaking my cool even as he leans in closer.

"Am I interrupting something special?" Comes the voice of Shepard, hopping out of the Mako, which looks like it's just been through a war, or ten. Wrex snorts and walks away.

"Ah, it's nothing Shep." I reply. "Wrex was just confessing his love for me."

"I heard that!"

"You were meant to big guy." Shepard's next question is interrupted by Kaiden and Garrus clambering out as well, the latter looking extremely unsteady, and the former actually falling over.

"Ugh... Never again." Kaiden moans, still not getting up. I look quizzically at Shepard.

"The beacon was a ruse, but I'm not sure by who." Shepard starts. "It was placed in the territory of a Thresher Maw, to boot."

"Damn," I say. "I've only seen those things from far off. I make a point to stay far, far away from them."

"Me too, but we had to deactivate the beacon before more soldiers were led into a trap." He mutters, eyes downcast. "I had thought I'd seen the last of those things long ago.." I cringe a bit at this.

"Anything you want to share, Shepard?" I ask.

"It's not important right now. It's something I've left in past, and it can stay there, as far as I'm concerned." He looks troubled, though.

"I've learned first-hand that it doesn't always work that way." I say, unconsciously reaching around my neck. "I'm here if you need to get it off of your chest."

"Thanks, Cory." He says with a weak smile, then laughs. "You know, I'm usually the one who says that."

"Hey, the first Human Spectre is still Human." I remind him. He nods.

"That I am. Glad somebody noticed. I'm going to have a mission brief in about a half-hour for when we hit groundside. Process of elimination has revealed the place Ms. T'Soni is most likely at is Therum, and I just want to make sure everyone is combat-ready."

"I'll be there. I'll need a bit of time pre-mission to get my armor on though."

"Don't worry, I'm giving everyone plenty of time to ready up." He responds.

"Good. I'll be there."

* * *

"Alright everyone, here is what we know so far." Shepard stands before the assembled ground team, already armored and projecting an image of Therum from his Omni-Tool. The resulting light gives the meeting a surprisingly calm mood. T'Soni is Archeologist who specializes in Prothean ruins. She is on Therum right now at a dig site, and Geth forces are already planetside trying to get to her. For what purpose we're not sure. Our objective is to secure T'Soni and find out if she knows anything concerning Saren's movements, or her mother's. Any questions?"

"Here's one." Ashley starts. "Do we know if T'Soni is hostile or not? If she knows what her mother is up to, then she might be in on it."

"Not for certain." I interject, drawing attention to myself before I can stop it. "She might not have any idea what her mother is up to."

"And how would you know?" Ashley snips. "People keep in contact with their parents."

"Not all of them." I mutter, but Shepard intervenes before Ashley can reply.

"We don't know at this time, so we need to be careful. We're going in quiet and dropping in the Mako a couple klicks from the dig site." At this, Kaiden and Garrus flinch. "Hey, it's not that bad." Shepard mutters. Oh, boy. "Everyone, dismissed. Tali, one moment." he says as people start to file out, but I'm out the door before I catch anymore.

"Woah. Nice armor." Shepard remarks as I finish suiting up. With it, I stand at 6'6", a good couple inches taller than him.

"It's gotten me through a lot." I say, my voice coming out slightly synthesized through the speakers. I look around at the assembled ground team, finding a certain Quarian absent. "Where's Tali?" I question.

"I told her I wasn't trying to bring her on a mission with her just recently shot." He says. "I don't want her pushing herself. And no offense to her, but I want to make sure she is 100 percent combat capable. We're going to get into some serious situations, not just skirmishes."

"She's more durable than she looks, Shep." I mention. "That reminds me." I say, popping off my helmet and going over to my sizable stack of crates.

"Reminds you of what?" Shepard inquires.

"Something that may help."

* * *

(Tali POV)

'Stupid Bosh'tet Shepard. I'm , my side hurts a bit, and I'm a little woozy, and.. Oh, who am I kidding?' I look around the engineering bay. 'This is probably the only room I'll actually do anything in.' I'm shaken from my moping by the sight of an armored tank. I almost don't recognize him.

"Oh! Cory, er, Epsilon. I didn't really recognize you." He has short, dark hair, a feature I didn't notice with his hood on.

"Cory is fine, as long as I can call you Tali." He says with a small chuckle.

"Sure, that's fine." I reply.

"I heard you weren't coming on the mission." He says, seemingly concerned.

"That shot I took today." I explain. "Shepard is worried I'm not capable of fighting at 100 percent... And he's right." I sigh.

"Tali, I'm sure he's just concerned for your safety." He reasons.

"It's more than that, though." I argue. "He doesn't really think I'm going to be useful in combat, but I know what I'm doing."

"I'm sure that's not all of it, Tali." He starts. "If you're that eager to help out, I'll talk to him about it. For now, take this". He pulls out a small vial.

"What is this?" I say.

"Just some meds to help combat the unpleasant symptoms of suit breaches." He says cheerfully. "I know you were already treated by Dr. Michel, then followed up by the doc here, but this will keep the fever and sniffles away."

I look at him, shocked that he would get something like this, or even know to. "Thank you." Is all I am able to say.

"Think nothing of it" He says, moving towards the cargo bay. "I'm just glad I can help a crew member." I watch in silence as he leaves. That whole time I spoke to him, there was something... Off. Something in his eyes that contrasted greatly with his cheery disposition.

Like a horror story waiting to be unveiled.

* * *

"Cory." I turn to the voice of Shepard as I rummage through my crates.

"Hmm?" I reply, still searching.

"We're ready to drop in a couple of minutes." He explains. "We need everybody on board." I look to the group uneasily boarding the Mako.

"I'm not dropping in that." I say evenly, finding what I was looking for.

"So you're not going?" He asks.

"I didn't say that." I chuckle. "I've just found alternative transportation." I gesture to the pack slung over my shoulders and weapons.

"... What?" Fair question.

"It's made of high-strength fibers and designed with combat drops in mind."

"... It's a parachute." He replies.

"With a Mass- Effect generator that'll lower my weight to a safe number as I get towards the surface." I mention. "It's safe, or safe enough."

"You're seriously going to drop.. With a parachute?" He seems flabbergasted.

"I have a bet with Joker on whether or not I'll hurt myself, so he's agreed to drop me at a safe height." I chuckle.

"You know, if I were more serious, I'd never let you do this." Shepard says with a smile.

"Good thing you're laid back then."

"Alright, we're over the area. You ready team?" Shepard addresses the ground team.

"Yeah, but what about him?" I hear behind me as I stand at the edge of the now-open cargo bay.

"Weston?" Shepard asks, but is interrupted by Joker over the loudspeakers.

**"Echo, you are cleared to go."**

"Shepard." I call as Rev Theory starts blasting in my helmet. He turns to me fully.

"I LIVE FOR THIS SHIT!" Is the last thing I call before tilting out of the cargo bay.

* * *

"... Well then."

* * *

The air screams past me as the ground below gets steadily larger. Just as it seems like I'm going to become an armored pancake, the generator kicks in, slowing my descent rapidly before deploying my chute, and I end up dropping to the ground only half a klick away from the digsite.

"Echo to ground team, come in."

_"Echo, you alright? We're a ways out from the apparent digsite." _

"I've landed fairly close, and am going to scout out the location. Will update as you get closer."

_"Roger that. Joker says to check if you're injured." _

"Completely fine, tell him he lost his bet."

He chuckles_. "Wilco. Ground team out."_

* * *

As I keep up the jogging pace, I assess the situation. Several Geth units moving about the digsite, moving bodies or heading inside. No sign of units heavier than Primes, but the dropship in orbit could change that in a blink. Snipers setting up in towers.. They'll have no line of sight on me, but I record their positions, as well as what appear to be mounted guns, and relay the information to the ground team for when they arrive. 'This fight will kick off well.'

* * *

(Garrus POV)

I watch the display as we reach the impasse in the rock. While the trip here was certainly... Eventful, the skills of the ground team would come into play now. Skills I've been itching to use. Mantis ready, I step out of the Mako gratefully, Shepard still debating whether he can maneuver the Mako over the rocks, much to the two marine's dismay sitting beside him.

Eventually, he gives it up, and we proceed on foot. We near the outpost mentioned by Echo, only to dive for cover as a cannon seems to go off. I'm up and scanning for it immediately, but Shepard puts a hand on my arm.

"It's just Weston. I told him to open fire when we were here." I follow his eyes to one of the confirmed sniper towers, lining up a shot, only for said sniper's head to literally blow into pieces as a second cannon goes off.

_"I've got your back, ground team."_ Comes over the comms.

"Looks like we've got a guardian, then." Shepard chuckles. "lets move."

* * *

(Cory POV)

I watch over the rest of the team as they approach the digsite, my nerves afire as I wait for hell to drop from the sky.

_"Digsite looks clear. Come on down, Echo, so we can go inside." _... Dammit Shepard. as I make the perilous trip down to them, the team continues their advance. I'm only a few meters away from them when something inexplicable draws me to look up.

"Incoming!" leaves my lips as the Armature rapidly draws closer. I'm the first in cover behind a crate as the world seems to shatter with the force of the Armature completing it's drop. A far more menacing sight in person, I almost don't notice the smaller units converging on us.

"Take them down." Shepard barks out over the sounds of pulse rifle fire. My own weapon is in my hands before I can give them the order, the enhanced P90 rounds stripping shields and metal alike from the Geth forces. And of course, just as I start to feel my first real conflict with the Geth is going well, my cover is turned into a missle by the Armature.

"Oww.." I'm briefly considering changing my line of work before the crate resting comfortably atop me is encased in a bluish glow, then moving off of me. A smirking Wrex moves into my field of view.

"No time to nap. There are more things to kill." He grunts. I shake my head at him as I look at the situation. Apart from a Hopper missing it's legs, only the Armature is still standing.

"Just go beat it to death, Wrex." I mutter. "It'll work fine."

"I'm a Krogan, not a Vorcha. Even I know when something won't work." He replies.

"You sure?" I ask. "I'll even prove it to you." In a flash, I'm up and running.

(Armature Unit 1209473 POV)

* * *

Significant damage to Geth forces. Attacking forces showing only minor disruption, but unwilling to face this unit. Alert! Enemy unit moving along left flank. Pulse shot aligned to intercept. Alert! Enemy unit has launched unknown projectile into FOV. Resulting explosion has limited FOV by 64 percent. Cannot locate enemy unit within smoke. Alert! Impact on the back of this unit. Unable to turn towards source of impact. Alret! signicant damge detected to unt's processing sevrs. Ale-

* * *

(Cory POV)

"Whew, I didn't think that would work." I stand atop the now-defunct Armature, staring at the mess of wiring and.. Blood? Motor fluid? I created along the armature's back and neck. I look up at the rest of the group, who seem to be slightly shell-shocked. "What?"

"Nothing.." Ashley starts after a moment of hesitation. "Just didn't think that you would have such a dramatic way of killing it."

"It wasn't that dramatic.." I weakly counter.

"You fired your shotgun into it's spine repeatedly and then used Omni-Blades to rip the exposed wiring into shreds!" She nearly yells. "I don't know if it was genius or insanity!" She considers this a moment, then takes an about face at the look of impatience on Shepard's face. ".. What?"

"We can get to his court-martial later, Williams." He says, though the smile on his face suggests another idea entirely. Hopefully something involving Liquor and much partying. "For now, we have a mission." He turns to me as we start our march into the digsite interior. "Quick question: Dual Omni-Tools?" I smile at him as I start to explain my unconventional combat style.

* * *

_**A/N:**_I am very sorry for the lateness and poor quality of this chapter. I'm learning people :P I promise. For now, let me know what you think and hang in there. I'm not giving up on this story.


	14. Dr T'Soni, I Presume

**disclaimer: Do I seriously have to do this? It should br readily apparent I don't own the rights to Mass Effect. Sigh.  
**

_**A/N: **_**I'm baaaaaack. I'll spare the horror story that has been my life for the past month from here, if you're really interested I'll put it up on the author profile page. Suffice to say that it was a series of unfortunate events, and I am sorry for not being on here. If you can forgive me, here is chapter 14.**

* * *

_Therum, Knossos system, Artemis Tau Cluster._

_February 7th, 2183. 10:00 P.M., Earth Central Standard Time._

* * *

"... And that's why I make use of gunpowder weapons." I finish as we step into the mining cavern.

"It would never be efficient for an army." Shepard points out.

"But it is for one person, skilled in their use."

"Fair enough." We make our way across the catwalk, disposing of the units that come at us with the combined might of soldiers, an assassin, and a Krogan. A short trip down a rather cramped elevator greets us when we meet with a forcefield. It groans a bit at our combined weight, but holds long enough to get off. The Geth Drones only have a moment to hover up before being sent down again from an Overload by both Garrus and Kaiden. They look at each other and blink a moment, both outstretched in the same pose, eliciting a chuckle from the rest of the group before we board another elevator. The groaning of it before we even start moving makes me worry.

'Didn't one of the elevators short-' My train of thought is interrupted by the elevator suddenly careening downward, sending us to the floor. '-Circuit.'

"Everyone okay?" Comes the voice of Shepard, the first to make it to his feet. A chorus of "Yes sir" and cursing answers. "Then everyone up and off this damn death trap." We start to disembark, only for it to start groaning again. "Everyone off, now!" The group starts to hustle, but me and Wrex are still inside when it begins to lurch again.

"Oh, bullshit!" Is the only thing I'm able to get out before it completes it's trip down the shaft, at a speed unrecommended for safe travel.

* * *

"Fuuuck..." I come to with a throbbing skull, and a piercing pain in my abdomen. the Krogan on top of me may explain the latter pain. "Wrex."

He looks like he just came down from a three-day bender. "What?"

"Get. Off." He thankfully moves, and I discover the real source of trauma. "Well, shit."

* * *

(Wrex POV)

Humans, in particular, have always seemed fairly fragile. The fact that this one in particular was barely flinching at his new wound made him an exception. "Well, shit."

"That's a bit of an understatement." I grunt. A metal rod, maybe nine inches, is jutting from his abdomen. already, a sizable pool of blood is spreading from underneath him.

"Heh, maybe. Give me a moment."

"You two okay down there?" Comes the voice of Shepard from the catwalk.

"Echo is injured." I reply.

"How bad?" I look back towards the Human in question, who seems to be unfolding something from a suit hardcase.

"Pretty bad, but alive."

"Keep him stable, we'll be down shortly." I look at the de3vice in his hands. " A blowtorch?"

"Miniature. Just watch." He grunts, and I do so as he burns through the metal until only a sliver of the rod can be seen poking through his body. "Help me here." He says, extending his hand. I grab onto him, pulling him off with an unsettling sound. To his credit, he only stumbles a little. "I have such shit luck." He remarks, looking back at the offending piece of blood-stained metal.

"Another understatement." He chuckles at this, drawing a boxy-looking syringe from another hardcase, pausing only a moment before jamming it in his side, perpendicular to the wound. His body twists in pain a moment before resuming it's controlled calm. A Medi-Gel dose on either side, and he acts as though nothing has happened.

"You're alright then?" I grumble.

"I will be," He replies. "Let's catch up to 's still Geth to eviscerate." Finally, a statement I can easily agree to.

* * *

(Cory POV)

Unfortunately for Wrex, the rest of the team has taken care of that, and seems to be crowded around the mining laser. Kaiden is studying the readout as Shepard turns to me, surprised. "From the way Wrex said it, I didn't think you'd be walking Cory."

"He overestimated my wound." I reply. He nods as the mining laser rumbles to life, cleaving a path under the Prothean structure and shaking the entire cave. "Best we get moving." I suggest.

A quick trip through reveals an Asari scientist held up by a forcefield. "The console there, please. Get me out of here!" She begs of Shepard, who fulfills the request. "We should be able to use the lift behind us." She says as the cave groans and shudders once more. we hustle to it, ascending from darkness.

* * *

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" Well, this man is insane.

We stare down the Krogan with his Geth entourage. I lock eyes with Wrex, gesturing to the Krogan. He nods, a rather sadistic smile on his face. in that moment, all hell breaks loose. Rounds fly as I dash to the right, P90 already in my hands as I duck behind a pillar. from the sound of it, many of the Geth are experiencing technical difficulties from the tech bursts and rifle fire of my comrades. I add to the measures, stripping shields and chunks of metal away with Overload and 5.7 fire respectively. soon, only a pair of charging Krogan are left in the room, fighting for dominance. Then one getting fused into the wall happens. Watch out for biotics, I guess.

A mad dash ensues as we try to Indy out of the now-collapsing digsite. Fortunately, I don't impale myself again in the process, and we manage to board the Normandy with only seconds to spare before the rescue would've been impossible. We take pause in the cargo bay as the ship speeds away from the planet, already en-route for the Mass Relay.

"Everyone, get yourselves cleaned up and your equipment stored." Comes the voice of Shepard, already unlatching his armor. "Debrief in twenty." I busy myself with the rather slow process of shedding my gear. Wrex stomps over as I get down to the under armor.

"You should go to the doctor." He says, pointing towards the torn section of my gear.

"For what?" I say, lifting it and revealing nothing but a knot of already-fading scar tissue. Perhaps the only time I'll surprise the Krogan.

"How?" He asks, blinking.

"Trade secret." I reply. He looks at me a moment, then chuckles, his mood taking an about-face.

"Guess the stories are true then," He rumbles. "Glad I have such a durable danger-magnet." I accept it as Wrex's form of a compliment. "You should see the doctor anyways. She wants an exam of everyone, so it's better to get it done."

"Ugh. Fair enough. After the debrief. And a bathroom break." I groan, moving towards the elevator as I start to feel the wear of the day on me.

* * *

I'm the last to arrive as Joker says his sarcastic bit about burnt hulls. only a few have actually sat down, and I merely lean against the wall beside Wrex, tuning out most of what I've already heard and taking stock of the day so far. Shepard finishes up the mission debrief, but doesn't move to dismiss anyone just yet.

"The lower deck serves as the sleeping quarters," Shepard begins. "And there are four officer's quarters that have been converted for the ground team. Most of you will have roomates, but it shouldn't be a problem, right?" He looks around at the assembled crowd. "Good. I expect you all to get along with eachother. I'll give you your room numbers in a moment outside. Dismissed." The group begins to get up and leave, and I flag shepard down for a moment.

"Chakwas wanted to get an exam, so I'm going there first." I explain.

"Sure thing. You're slotted for room four." He replies.

"Thanks."

* * *

Dr. Chakwas looks up from her data pad. "Well, nothing seems to be wrong on the surface, mr. Weston. I'll run the blood sample I took, but I see nothing right now that will keep you from the field. Now run along, before I decide to prod you with more needles." She adds this last part as a joke, but I get a move on regardless, making my way to the elevator.

Three years later, I reach my room, recieving the biggest surprise of the day. "Oh, Shepard. I'm so going to kill you."

* * *

"AhCHOO!" I wipe my nose as Karin looks at me.

"You okay, Shepard?"

"Yeah, just... Hmm, nevermind. You wanted to talk about something?" I ask as I sit down opposite the good doctor.

"Yes, about Weston. How much do you know about his past?"

"Bits and pieces," I answer. "Why?"

I got his scan and bloodwork processed, and the results are... Disturbing. Here." She hands me a data pad, and as I read on, my frown get progressively deeper.

"I'll ask him about it, but something like this... He may not share much." I look back down at the data pad.

'What the hell has happened to you, Cory?'

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry for the delays guys. I'll do my best to keep this story going on a good pace. For now, keep up the reviews. They warm my soul :. And I'm sorry it's short, but I'm trying to transition here.


	15. Words of The Lost

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect and make no monetary claim to any of Bioware's own ideas.**

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**A/N**: I'm doing my best to get back into the groove of things on fanfiction. I put up a cover image as I'm sure some of you noticed, but is is more of a placeholder. For now, here is the story.

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_Normandy SR-1_

_February 8th, 2183 12 A.M. E.C.S.T._

"Um..." Comes the voice of one Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, pulling me from my plans of murder.

"Hey." I greet her. I move to the bed opposite the one she's sitting on, flopping down in an undignified heap.

"So.. I guess we're roommates.." She starts, seemingly surprised at my lack of reaction.

"It would appear so. I'll ask Shepard about it tomorrow."

"O.. Kay then." She replies, shifting about.

"I'm too tired to react to it, sorry."

"..Oh."

* * *

_"You know I'll never walk away, baby."_

_"You already have. How quickly did you flee?"_

_"Don't be like that, come on."_

_"NO! You ran away, again! Everything you touch only dies, so stop!"_

_"Please, Ana.."_

_"Daddy, where are you? Why don't you care?_

_"Letti, It's not like that."_

_"Then where are you? Please, come home!"_

_"Sweetie, I can't... No! Please, come back!"_

_"Daddy, Where are you? Where..."_

* * *

The world snaps into focus. Dull metal walls, twin-sized bed. Breathing hard, laying in a puddle of sweat. I close my eyes a moment, forcing air in and out of my lungs at a steady rate. My muscles ache, unable to ever relax thanks to my near-nightly torture. A flick of my arm brings up my Nexus X, revealing I've slept 6 hours. Pretty good, considering my recent track record. I dress, and make my way out quietly as to not disturb the still-sleeping engineer, destination set for the bathroom to clean up.

Shepard greets me as I take a seat in the mess hall. "Bad night?" He asks, taking in my disheveled appearance.

"You could say that." I mutter. "Meanwhile, you must think you're hilarious." He grins.

"Well, I have my moments."

"So, why did you put me in a room with Tali?"

"Process of elimination."

"Que?"

"Well, I had to figure out how to place seven people from all walks of life," He starts to explain. " It was simple enough to put Ashley and Liara in a room together, as to not cause undue drama between genders. Same with Garrus and Kaiden. That left Wrex, Tali, and you. I wasn't about to make a Krogan cooped up on a spaceship share a room with anyone, and I figured out of the three women, you were most likely to behave yourself with Tali around." He interjects me as I open my mouth to argue my gentlemanliness. "And I figured of the three remaining men, you were the most likely to not cause drama bunking with a female." I close my mouth, but frown. "Was I wrong?" He asks.

"No, but.."

"Just go with it for now, and we'll see how things progress." He says with finality. I sigh.

"Alright, then. I'll be in the cargo bay handling dangerous materials."

* * *

"Echo." The sight of a C-Sec officer being this close in proximity to me in any other situation would leave said officer in a world of shit.

"Hi Garrus."

"Whatcha working on?" He gestures towards the assortment of parts and schematics laid out over my workbench.

"Just going over plans for new weapon designs. It's a fairly tough market to break into in terms of modifying existing weapons, so I'm trying to design something new."

"Hmm." He looks of the various designs with a professional eye. "Which of these schematics are yours?"

"The red ones," I answer, still looking over the design in my hand. He picks one up.

"Wait, you designed the Eviscerator?" He asks skeptically.

"Helped with it, really. Most of the design was already there." I nod towards my locker. "One of the first off of the line is in there. Heavily modified, and one of my prized possessions." He nods.

"And this one?"

"A Squad Assault Weapon. floating bed recoil compensators, a different type of ammo shaping. It'll be both powerful and able to lay down suppressive fire, once I solve the heat management. As is, it can barely get out 15 shots before overloading the sinks."

"Maybe a new sink design is in order." He remarks. I smile.

"Maybe. So what were you up to by the Mako?"

"Ah, just getting it to run a bit more efficiently for our purposes." He starts, and I can see his face light up slightly. "The factory specifications are good, but not optimized. Calibrations are required for peak performance."

Uh-oh.

He seems to pick up on my sense of impending doom."Something wrong?" I recover quickly enough.

"Ah, nothing. I just used to know a guy who was utterly obsessed with calibrations. It's all he would do, and all he would talk about."

"Ugh," He starts. "If I ever end up like that, shoot me."

"Noted." He chuckles at this.

"Well, with no Mako to work on right now, You don't have to worry. Did Shepard say when we were getting a new one?"

"I talked to Shepard earlier. We're en route to the Citadel now."

"Good. I need to grab a couple of things from my apartment anyways."

"Apartment?" I question. "I thought all C-Sec officers had to live under their desks." He looks at me a moment, and grins in a Turian fashion.

"Don't knock the desk. It has gotten me through some hard times."

"Fair enough."

* * *

(Tali POV)

I watch my roommate as he readies himself for what I had thought to be little more than a shopping trip onto the Citadel. But who carries a near-full compliment of weapons on a shopping trip?

"Planning to go to war?" I ask him, watching as he slides several small knives into the inside of his sleeve.

"Always be armed, it'll keep you alive if you're someone like me." He answers.

"And the necklace?" I question. His hand drifts up to his neck seemingly of it's own accord.

"Just... Reminders, some. Tradition, the others." I see that flash of pain in his eyes again, so well-hidden, yet so obvious for those who know how to look.

"Hey." I start as he moves to the door. "What is it with you?" The question comes out far differently than I'd wanted it to.

"What do you mean?" He asks, tense.

"Something, many things, have happened to you. Don't try to deny it," I say as he moves to argue. "It's written in your eyes, something you can't cover up. You walk around with all this pain, unwilling to let it go. Why?" His face hardens, and I see the error of my ways.

'Oh, Keelah Tali? What are you doing? You've known him for a night, and you just jump into his personal life? What is wrong with you? He could snap, for all you know! You have no right to-'

"If you were to let go of what hurts, then there are no feelings...Like mental purgatory." His face is downcast now, his mind far, far away from his body. "Casting away good feelings with it, unable to keep hold, unlikely to find a replacement...It is life. Everyone suffers, and life in general is cruel..But the true feelings, held closest, are the ones that burn most. There are sacrifices made in life, found to be inevitable, they cannot be avoided." As he speaks, something seems to be uncoiling inside of him, like a long-dead creature once again feeling life.

"Living with pain...Is better than letting go...Than death. To end... To end is to let go... To give up... To fail. It is not an option for me to fail. Life is not perfect. People are not perfect. No matter the pain, no matter how agonizing, grinding your insides like some sort of parasite...Anyone can survive... It is the will of organics. No God, no angel or demon, no Ancestor can eliminate your life in this Galaxy, or repair it, even if it were broken from the start..." I realize that I am hanging on these words, for never have I heard something so personal, with so much emotion in it.

"But the belief...The feeling to have your own thoughts... It is something precious. Take care of yourself, and those you love... If nobody else will love you...Love yourself...Even driving yourself crazy won't lift you from hurt. Believe in yourself. You are alive. You are your own self, the only you. Life is a test of strength, of will. By taking the worst life can throw at you, and still do good, for others and yourself, proves that you can survive your pain. It is not easy alone, but often the path of solitude keeps others from feeling that pain. And so it is a road I walk." His eyes refocus, and he closes them. "These are the words I try to live by, spoken by someone who was very important to me, and now is long gone. But his message survives." He looks at me, rather sheepishly. "I've never told anybody about this stuff. Nobody ever really asked." He takes another long look at me. "There is something about you Tali'Zorah. You remind me of someone I used to know. Time will tell if that's a good thing or not."

And without another word, he walks out the door, leaving me to wonder about what he just said, and the meaning behind it. I open my Omni-Tool, listening to those words again.

* * *

"Alright, everyone, listen up." Shepard stands before the assembled ground team inside C-Sec Headquarters. "The M-35 I requisitoned is en route here and will be ready to load in three hours. For now, you all have time to wrap up anything on the Citadel you may need to, because we won't be back for a while. just be back here before it's time to go. Dismissed." The group quickly breaks apart, and I'm about to head off myself when Shepard stops me.

"Something you need?" I ask.

"Yeah, the Council would 'appreciate'" He says with finger quotes. "A meeting with me in person. Meanwhile, I need you to take Liara," He gestures to the only other ground team member still here. "And get her geared up. Armor, weapons, the works. Put it on my Alliance tab."

"It'll be done Commander." I affirm, Then look towards the rather timid scientist. "Dr. T'soni, shall we be off?"

* * *

It wasn't too terribly difficult, when I consider it, to get Liara to open up. I merely had to get on the subject of the Protheans, and the cycle that she had discovered. Soon, she is speaking of her homeworld, her people, and her life. I simply listen patiently as we walk towards the Wards, taking into account that this is probably the first real conversation she's had in years.

"... And it is really more of an uncommon event, as few practice the religion anymore." She concludes, taking in a breath as we reach our destination. "Um.. Is this the best place for this sort of thing?" She asks, looking at the building's exterior.

"Don't let the looks fool you; Granith has personally made most of my gear, and he is a consummate professional." I walk inside, leaving Liara no choice but to follow.

A Salarian stands at the counter. "Welcome to Tuchanka Arms, where only the strongest of gear can survive! My name is Esid, how can I help you?"

"I would like to speak with Granith," I say. "Is he here?"

"He's in the back, but has asked not to be disturbed."

"Trust me, he'll drop what he's doing if he knows I'm here. Tell him Cory Weston is up front." Esid disappears behind one of the curtains dividing up the shop, and sure enough Ravanor Granith comes out, and extends his hand to mine for a hardy shake.

"My favorite customer indeed, what can I do for you?" He says, gesturing towards the back room. We follow, though Liara seems a bit jumpy. Considering Granith's likeness to the man who'd just tried to kill her yesterday, I don't blame her. Nevertheless, we take a seat at a stone table that is likely older than I or even Liara by several centuries.

"My friend here needs some equipment," I gesture towards my own armor. "Something that can help her with her natural biotic talent, without sacrificing protection or maneuverability."

"I have something that could work well, tailored for Asari Commandos, but a bit more in the way of armor than their standards. Interested?" I look towards Liara, who looks like she doesn't have a real opinion in terms of specifications.

"That should work," I nod. "She also needs some weaponry. A top-of-the-line pistol, for one, and a sub-machine gun for close-up encounters could be handy. One of my modified designs, for power."

"Okay, Scorpion, or MP-9?"

"MP-9 should be a bit more her speed." He nods.

"Okay, and I have some good pistols in here for such an occasion. When do you need this stuff ready?"

"Three hours, at the most. And I need a replacement P90. Both of them the thermal sink kind."

"Bah," He grumbles. "Those have no flair. What's the point of firing a weapon that can't take off an opponent's head like an axe?"

"I know, Granith, but I have some people in need. Also, could you get some ammo crates ready? 5.7 and .50."

"That'll take more than three hours." He says.

"I know, but have them ready. I get the feeling I'll be using a lot more than I had first thought."

"Okay then." He looks over the list. "Will that be all for you and your 'Friend'?" He asks, smirking.

"This one's just a teammate," I chuckle. "And yeah, that'll work."

"I'll have everything ready in 90 minutes," He says. "Just to prove a point."

"Good man." I say by way of farewell, and turn to Liara. "So, Omni-Tool next?"

* * *

**A/N: **Trying to move the story along, I promise. Shit's... Not going well here. At all. But I'm doing my best to stay positive. Also, this story is EXPLODING. I want to thank everyone who's read, because this is generating far more buzz than I would've thought. Look at this: Reviews 35 Followers 70

Favorites 41 Communities 2

Views 7,699,

This is insane! I'm seriously happy. Now, I love you all favoriting /following, but please review. People see that number first, and it can decide the popularity of a story. Even if it's just "Good so far." Thanks guys :).

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One last thing, not really important. Forwarded form the author's page: For anyone interested, I need a cover of some kind for Of soul and Steel. PM me for my desired idea, or just make something and email it to me :) (I will give you said address if you ask) I will publicize your work, give you an OC, add you as a beta, pretty much whatever you want that I can give, except money. I don't have that ;)


	16. Getting To Know The Crew

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Bioware, or anything like that. If I did, everyone would've liked the game even more.**

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**A/N: **Despite the copious amounts of bullshit I put up with, I'm still alive and still writing. Yay? Yay. If anyone has advice for me in terms of story, dialogue, or combat improvement, feel free to share. I'm going to try my best to make this story at least somewhat decent.

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_Citadel_

_February 8th, 2183. 12 P.M._

Armor and weapons in transit to the Normandy, Liara and I make our way to Flux, where Shepard wanted to speak to everyone in a more relaxed environment.

Arriving there, we find Garrus, Tali, and the man himself in attendance, the first looking anywhere but Tali, and the second looking nowhere but Garrus. If looks could kill... I catch Shepard's attention, who only motions for me to sit. I do so, back towards the wall and watching for the others.

They file in, one by one, and as Ashley sits down last, Shepard begins to speak. "I've been considering something over the past day; we are chasing down one of the most dangerous men in the Galaxy, with one of the most diverse crews I have ever seen." He looks at all of us before continuing. " And we need to establish now, that everyone here is here because they can do it. Now, I just spoke to the Council," He grimaces slightly at this. "And then I heard something in the elevator down here that should never come from the mouth of an officer, let alone a representative of his race."

I watch on as Garrus tries even harder to sink into his seat. Not easy for someone of his size. "Now, I want to make one thing very clear, both to everyone here, and the Council: there are no suit-rats," Tali visibly flinches at this, but relaxes as Shepard continues. "No split-jaws, no lizards, no dumb-as-shit apes on my ship." He looks for argument in anyone's eyes. "We are here to take down a rogue Spectre, and if we can prove that we work well together as a team, we will change how people consider things."

"We can do this," He concludes. "And anyone who can't because of somebody's _**race,**_ you can walk away now." He waits a moment, but nobody even moves a muscle. "Good. Now, let's get back to the ship." We begin our march to the Mass Transit station, and wait for our cars.

* * *

I look to Tali, who's waiting for the second car alongside me, Wrex, and Liara. "Well, you're pissed." I say. She looks ready to snap at me as well, but deflates as she sees the look of concern, rather than amusement on my face.

"I'm not, at least not at Garrus directly," She starts, "But.. I'm tired of the stares, the people checking if I stole something after I walk past them. The feeling that everyone hates me for something that happened hundreds of years ago."

"I doubt Garrus hates you, Tali." I begin. " But he was raised believing your people did something unthinkable, and his father, and his grandfather, was raised the same way. Garrus is not racist," I continue. "And it is up to you to prove your people are just as good, if not better than, the Council races."

"Better?" She asks, and I can start to hear less miserable tone creeping into her voice.

"Well, I've never of Quarians actually committing any of the crimes they are accused of," I start to act thoughtful as I speak. "And now that I consider it, you might be better candidates for the Council anyways."

"Oh, shut up." she says, though she seems to be lightening considerably.

"It might go to your head though," I warn. " I could see it now: 'Councillor Zorah, my people need to use those planets to feed our population!' And you'd just be like 'I'm sorry Tevos, but those are my summer homes."

She punches me in the shoulder. "Bosh'tet." She says, trying hard not to laugh.

"Hey!" Wrex yells, and he points to the waiting car. "You two lovebirds ready to leave, or what?" Tali immediately clams up, but my face becomes a mask of horror.

"Wrex!? I thought we had something special!" I cry, and he looks completely confused, before just walking to the car without another word. However, I'm not ready to let up yet, opening up a link to the other car as I type out a quick text to Shepard. I start to sing as we get underway. "Wrexie I love you, Wrexie I doooo. When my heart beats it beats only for youuuuu." And as horror crosses Wrex's face, the other car opens up in spectacular fashion.

_**"Wrexie I love you, Wrexie I doooo. When my heart beats it beats only for youuuuu!" **_Liara and Tali are busting up laughing, and I hear the same from my connection to the other car. Wrex looks like the angriest man I've ever seen.

"Not. Another. Word. About this day. Ever." Wrex's tone drips with rage, but I only smile blandly.

"I love you too, Wrexie."

* * *

"Very clever." I look up to find the Krogan I had just pissed off holding a shotgun. As we're the only two people currently in the cargo bay, I'm a little concerned.

"Umm.."

"Taking focus off of you and the Quarian, clever. She looked pretty embarrassed, but soon she was cheerful."

"It was nothing."

"To you, maybe." I look at him questioningly, but he merely lays his shotgun on my table, and takes a seat in my other chair. " I need something with this power, but compact. Something I can get to in a moment's notice. I've asked a few people over the years, but none of them have been able to design something that would work. It was either too bulky, or not enough power. So I'm asking you, the man with so many designs," He gestures to my blueprints. "To make something."

"Hmm.." I consider this as I look at the shotgun. "When do you need this?"

"As soon as you can get it." He answers.

"Well, I'll need some things. A Flash-Forger, for one. Only weapon-smiths have them, and I doubt we'll end up back near the Citadel for a while-" As I spoke, Wrex got up and moved towards one of the crates. He interrupts my thoughts, by opening the side of the one on the bottom. Inside is a full Flash-Forger, readily-able to take scrap parts and convert them into a new design.

"Wrex..."

"Yes?"

"How in the hell did you get your hands on that?"

"Kid, I've been around since before your people knew your planet was round. I know how to get my hands on things, and where to do it."

"Okay then. Well, we'll need the raw materials, which we already have, and will be able to get more of, so really I just need time to work on a design."

"How long do you think it will take?" His eyes gleam slightly at the thought of having something good to work with again. Or maybe he's just hungry.

"Well, I already have a concept in mind, so let me look to see if I can make it reality. If all goes well, you should have it in a couple of days." He nods, and starts to drag out the machine as I set up the corresponding program on an interface on my workbench.

* * *

(Shepard POV)

The man with many mysteries is seated at his workbench, wearing a more casual hooded black jacket and some black cargo pants, seemingly working hard on something. "Cory." He looks up from his sketching of what appears to be a fancy rectangle with a grip.

"It's not done." He gestures to the holo image. "What's up?"

"A couple of things," I answer. "First, I heard you ran up my bill a bit on T'Soni's gear?" He tenses a bit, but notices my smile.

"It'll be well worth it, Shepard. The armor is top-quality, and below top-quality prices, thanks to me."

"If it works, then it'll be fine." I reply. "But the weapon you picked up, you're gonna have to instruct her on the use, I'd think."

"Figured so." He answers. "Won't be an issue."

"Good, because you also get to teach her other things." He raises an eyebrow. "She's willing to help, but she doesn't know much about being a combatant. Neither does Tali, beyond some basic training in survival." He nods. "So, You, along with Ashley and Garrus, are going to be giving those two instruction. Weapon use, close-quarters combat, and knowing what to do when the bullets fly. Wrex will too, if he wants to actually help. Kaiden will be instructing Liara more on Biotic use in the field and not burning out."

"And you?" He asks.

"I'll be helping here and there, but I've found that learning from those on your level is easier than worrying about impressing a commanding officer."

"Good point." He remarks. "But I think you just want to get out of doing work."

"I deny everything." I say with a grin.

"I'll get it done, Shep."

"Good. There's something else, though." He looks confused.

"Yeah?"

"Well, Dr. Chakwas gave me the results of your scans, and I wanted to talk about them." He tenses up at these words, but nods.

"What did you want to know?" He asks.

"Well... What has happened to you? By the looks of it, you're part robot at this point." He chuckles humorlessly at these words.

"Feels like it, sometimes." He looks down at his hands. " Six years ago-" He freezes up at these words.

"What?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Nothing, it's just.. It's been six years now, almost to the day, since I started down this path. Six years ago," He continues. "I was bound for the Citadel with a friend, but the transport ship was assaulted." He seems lost in memory now, as if reliving the past. " The men that boarded the ship... They came straight for me, nobody else. At first, I thought I was under arrest, but it quickly proved far more sinister than that."

"And why would you be under arrest?" I ask, my lips quirking.

"I.. Was involved with a pretty rough crowd back on Earth," He admits. " Had to be, to survive where I grew up. Couldn't rely on my mom, and Dad was nowhere to be found."

"I never knew mine," I say, and He raises his head. "But I'm probably luckier, in that aspect. Nobody had the chance to fail me." He shrugs.

"I guess we both grew up despite it." I nod. "Anyways, for whatever reason, these people used me, along with a few others, as guinea pigs. All Human-centric." My eyes slowly widen as he continues. "Pain tolerance, bone density, how much somebody could take before breaking. Then how well those pieces could go back together."

"There were five of us," He continues, eyes unfocused." Me, Alpha, Delta, Gamma, and Sigma."

"So those are the people you work with now?" I interrupt. He shakes his head.

"Were. Alpha was taken away one day for more testing, and never came back. It was fairly common," He says as he sees my face. "People would eventually be unable to get back up. And once they outlived their usefulness," He pulls out his pistol and mimics firing. "Would've happened to all of us, had we not escaped. in the process, Gamma died holding back the onslaught of guards so Sigma could reach the control room. Sigma died sending everyone he could straight to hell, and ensuring our escape."

" Here," He pulls a necklace off from under his undershirt. Attached are Three tags, one a holo-tag with several names on it. "I carry those I've lost with me, both as penance, and a reminder. I'm getting off-topic though." He says suddenly, and shifts off his jacket. He then points out a surgical line on his collarbone, extending downward under his shirt. "We all had implants put in us, things that are experimental at best."

"Mine were fairly tame, compared to Gamma and Alpha. With their Biotic talent, they were near-cyborgs for the amount of tech shoved into them. Sigma never talked about his own, though. As for myself, I was fitted with gear that would increase my reaction times, muscle development, ability to heal on my own, ability to withstand pain and stay on my feet. In short, a hard man to bring down. Delta got more of the power and resistance side, While I got more of the attacking before attacked and tech training. You see these, Shepard?" He gestures to the Omni-Tools on both wrists, and I nod. "These aren't even the ones I use. The actual combat ones are implanted in both arms." I gape at this, but he merely nods.

"Delta and I are the only survivors of that nightmare factory."

"I've only one lead," His voice takes a hard edge now. " A name: Dr. Albert Decker, Head Scientist of the Titan project, and the source of my nightmares. I almost had him three years ago in Chicago, back on earth, but he slipped away. I will find him though, Shepard. Somehow."

"If I can help, I'll let you know." I affirm.

"Thanks."

"There's something else.." I begin. He looks up. "Dr. Chakwas said there's some sort of damage.. Something from your implants..."

"I already know about it. It won't affect my work." He says, and the case appears closed from the look on his face. As I stand up, I set the tags back down on the bench.

"Those names on the end, Alex and Ana. Something you wanna talk about?"

"No." The answer came out before I was even done speaking.

"Okay, sorry. I'm gonna check up on the others."

"See ya later, Shep." As I walk towards Engineering, A splash of gray and purple catches my eye. But when I turn the corner, the doors are already closing.

'Just how much of that did she hear?'

* * *

A/N: A couple days early! Undead, You dog! I know, I know, but The next one might take longer as a result. When the mood to write hits me, I am but a slave to it. Questions? Comments? Let me know what you guys think. Till then, see ya later.

Quick** Edit:** Most of you read from the U.S., and that's all good, but for those of you from outside of the U.S., thanks for reading! I've gotten tags from Europe, Eastern Asia, Israel, Australia, and many others. I hope you're enjoying the story!


	17. Calm Hearts Win Wars

**Disclaimer, and stuff: I do not own Mass Effect, or anything that Bioware has any sort of claim on. Seriously :I.**

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**A/N:** With nearly TEN THOUSAND views, a whole host of followers, favorites, and reviews, I'm so proud to be bringing you guys this story. I knew it was a fairly popular market, but damn if we're not already eclipsing some of the stories that inspired me when they were at this stage. Thank you all :).

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_Normandy SR-1_

_February 8th, 4 P.M._

"So, um.. Mr. Echo, what are we going to be working on?" I smile at the scientist.

"We're going to be on a team together, Liara. Cory is fine." She nods, but still seems like a deer in the headlights. "And we're going to work on weapons handling."

Assembled are Liara and Tali, awaiting training, Garrus and Wrex, looking on because it's the most interesting thing in the cargo bay, and Ashley is conveniently distracted up top by-

"Epsilon!" She calls as she steps off of the elevator, looking very unhappy.

"Chief." I greet.

"What are you doing?" She gestures at the holographic shooting range I had set up.

"Training, what does it look like?"

"WE. Are supposed to be training them."

"Well, you seemed busy, so.." I trail off.

"By your hand." She bites.

"I'm hurt, truly." I say without an ounce of shame.

"Well, I'm here now, and these two will learn the _proper_ way to handle weapons." She says with an air of superiority. 'Ooohoh, you have no idea of my power'.

"Well, Chief, They would've learned the _proper_ way either way, but I'm sure your expert knowledge will come in handy. Now," I address the two trainees. " We should probably start with pistols, as a baseline."

"Good," Ashley announces suddenly. "That I'm here then. They should likely learn how to fire one from a soldier, instead of a murderer." I tense at these words. 'Murderer, huh?'

In a flash, My Five Seven is in my hands, finger flicking the safety off as it goes from the slide to the trigger, sights coming up to Ashley's face-

Only for me to pivot and take a knee. Right target, left target, center target. Three shots to a target before picking another. The twentieth round leaves the chamber eight seconds after the first.

"Garrus." He looks up from the computer monitoring the simulated 15-yard targets.

"Nineteen shots all within center target. the other one just on the outer bulls-eye."

"Hmm, I'm getting a bit sloppy." I muse, as Ashley looks as though she'd be spitting fire at me if she had the capability.

"Getting a bit sloppy?" Garrus asks. "With the spread being about an half an inch at the max, you could join C-Sec special forces."

"Nah, I have a criminal record." I chuckle. "Anyways, Liara and Tali? You two will be firing at those targets Liara, the left one, Tali, the right, at your own pace, to get a baseline of how well you can handle the weapons. Anything you'd like to add, Chief?"

"Yes. You and S... Garrus, can train those two." With that, she huffs off back to the elevator.

"I think she's upset." Garrus chuckles.

"Nah, she'll be fine. Whenever you're ready." I add to the waiting pair, armed with their respective sidearms.

* * *

"Not bad, you two." Looking over the results shows Liara has good control of her shots for someone who's never fired a weapon, and Tali's fire show her training. "Shepard wants a test with all standard weapons, so next up will be assault rifles." Already, there's trouble, as Liara has no idea how to even hold the Lancer, and Tali has a grip on it but looks entirely uncomfortable.

"Oh, come on, I've never even fired one before!" Protests Liara, as Garrus tuts at her poor performance. Tali shows a similar frustration at it, and assault rifles are crossed from the list. sniper rifles go a similar way, and shotguns do on Liara's side. Tali, however, surprises even Wrex at her skill with a rather rustic, ancient-looking shotgun.

"I think I've seen ones in better condition in museums." Garrus remarks.

"I think I've seen better ones in 300-year old war films." I reply, frowning.

"Well, we'll see if Shepard can help with that." Garrus shrugs.

"Hmm."

* * *

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for," I exclaim dramatically. "Or, I've been waiting for at least." I set two case down in front of Liara and Tali. Liara, at least, knows what I'm talking about, but Tali looks bewildered. Well, as bewildered as a Quarian CAN look wearing something that hides their face. I flip the two cases open before them. "First, Liara, you know I picked this weapon up so you'd have something other than a pistol." I pick the machine pistol out of it's groove. "Brugger and Thomet MP9. high rate of fire, integrated-recoil compensator, fore-grip, detachable sink, stock comes out like so." I demonstrate.

"Um, why would the sink need to be detachable?" Liara asks.

"Well, it's unique, not meant to be fitted with any other weapon," I start to explain. "It extends past the base of the grip, giving it better heat absorption, but also exposing it to possible damage. Personally," I say as I gesture to the spare sink in the case, "I use that design to switch between sinks and keep my fire rate up, rather than waiting for the cool-down. But that takes practice. For now, just focus on wielding it. Safety is located above the fore-grip. You can also switch from burst fire and full-auto with it." As Liara looks over the weapon, I turn to Tali, who is studying the design manual in the case. My lips quirk slightly at this. "Tali."

"Yes?" She asks, looking up.

"Want any help, or are you just going to read the manual?" I ask, smirking.

"Well, I'm going to read the manual anyways, but you've handled this weapon before, so I'll take your advice for it." I nod.

"Alright. First off, the P90 is far different from the MP9," I start to explain as I pick it up. "More powerful, larger, more of a cross between assault rifle and sub-machine gun. Fully ambidextrous controls, heat vents upward to the sink stretched horizontally above the barrel," I gesture to the sink. "Fire control is just under the trigger, offering safe, semi-auto fire, and full-auto." She nods. "When you have it set to full auto, you can just barely squeeze the trigger, and you'll get a single shot. When the trigger goes all the way back, it'll open up on full auto. With it's fire rate, it'll overheat the sink in about six seconds of sustain, full-auto fire. This will give you about eighty or so fairly low-power shots." Her eyes widen a bit at this. "What?"

"That's a lot of shots, is all." She says.

"Well, it's mostly due to the over-sized sink." I explain." My own P90 takes the original gunpowder-propelled, full-sized rounds. So does my pistol."

"I had assumed so when those casings came out of it." She says.

"Right. Well, let's test these out."

* * *

"Okay, that's good." The two stop firing as Garrus and I look over the results. "Liara, good bursts. With practice, you'll be able to use that weapon like you we're born with it." I look over Tali's scores. "Miss Zorah, the way you handle that weapon, I might need to recruit you. Very good." It's hard to tell, but she looks damn pleased, though she tries to play it off.

"It was luck, I'm sure." She says. "This weapon is surprisingly comfortable to hold and fire."

"It's designed to be ergonomic." I say.

"Cory?" I look back to Liara. "How do you fold these up?" She asks, looking for some sort of button.

"You don't." I state, and she looks confused. "Because of their design, they don't fold together." I explain. " They still work with magnetic holders on armor. I prefer holsters," I say, more as an afterthought. "But that's just me. Garrus?" I motion for him to step forward.

"Alright," Garrus starts. " Time to get down to what happens when your opponent gets close and you don't have a weapon handy."

* * *

(Ashley POV)

I storm up to the C.I.C., so intent on finding Shepard that I walk into him before I realize he's there. "Williams. Something you need?" He says, smirking.

"Yes." I start, grinding my teeth together. "I need Epsilon ejected from the nearest Javelin tube."

"Why?" He asks, concerned.

"WE we're supposed to be teaching, and he just completely usurps my authority!"

"Your authority, Chief?" Shepard starts, and I look up at him. "I didn't put you, him, or _anyone _in charge of instruction. It's a team effort, literally." He stares me down, and I start to get uncomfortable. "Plus, I know what really happened down there anyways. One of the perks of being in charge. Your antagonizing him isn't helping."

"Sir, he's a _killer_! He's dangerous!" I argue.

"Ashley, you, of all people, know that there's more to the story than what's printed," He says, and I flinch a bit.

"But- He's- He's an asshole!" I blurt out.

"If you really don't like him, then go beat his ass," Shepard remarks in obvious sarcasm, but it makes me think. Soon, I have a plan.

"Thanks, sir. I think I'll do just that." I walk away as Shepard looks entirely confused.

"Williams, WILLIAMS! I wasn't serious!" He calls out, but it falls on deaf ears.

* * *

(Cory POV)

Left fake, right jab, bring up the-

_Block! Right cross incoming!_

Sidestep, hands on the arm, kick to the knee,-

_Dodge!_

And so it's been for the past fifteen minutes, scrapping with the Chief. We're supposed to be teaching, though our little demonstration has turned into a war, with her not budging enough for me to actually get some finishing strikes in, but every attack she throws at me only costing her. Most of engineering has come out to watch, and I'm pretty sure I saw Wrex taking bets in the corner. Tali and Liara have been all but forgotten in the scuffle.

I'm breathing hard, Ashley the same. She's far more skilled than I gave her credit for. Catcalls and cheers come from all around, and they're distracting Ashley. Good.

I fake a lunge, making her try to counter it. As she moves to tackle, I fall back, bringing her arm with me and both feet into her abdomen, flipping her over me and hard into the ground. Still gripped onto her arm, I spin as fast as I can, locking my legs across her chest and cranking down hard. Sure enough, her other hand comes down repeatedly, causing cheers among a rather small number of the people gathered. As I stand, I realize many from the command deck also came down to watch, Including Joker, Dr. Chakwas, and Shepard.

I offer a hand to Ashley, but she merely scoffs and gets up on her own. "It was your idea we spar to demonstrate." I point out. She nearly snarls at this, and walks away, apparently eager to put as much distance between us as she can.

"Not bad, Echo." Wrex smirks at me as the crowd disperses.

"Yeah, what was all of that flipping around?" Tali asks. "I've never seen fighting like that."

"Nor I," Garrus throws in. "It looked like you were just dancing around her."

"Well," I start, "It's a combat style I've adapted to my uses. Primarily, Judo." the assembled group seems confused. " It focuses on grappling, and using an opponents strength against them. Judo literally translates to 'Gentle Way.' Resisting a more powerful opponent will result in your defeat, whilst adjusting to and evading your opponent's attack will cause them to lose their balance. Their power will be reduced, and you will defeat them. This can apply whatever the relative values of power, thus making it possible for weaker opponents to beat significantly stronger ones. This is the theory of ju yoku go o seisu, or softness controls hardness. The other attacks were just strikes pulled from many different combat styles." I pause as they look at me. "Whaat?"

"You know a lot about this stuff." Garrus says.

"Damn straight." I affirm. "I'm as dangerous from two feet away as I am from two kilometers."

"Glad you're on our side then," Shepard remarks. "Keep up the good work."

"Glad to, Shepard." I look to the two trainees. "So, who wants to learn how to flip a Krogan?"

* * *

**A/N**: I'm glad that everyone has been enjoying the story so far. Violence will be on it's way, rest assured. Also, I post this stuff pretty much as soon as I type it, so I'm not holding out on anyone :P. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.


	18. An Echo of the Past

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Twizzlers, or your mother.**

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**A/N: **Far too long in the making, here is chapter 18. I apologize for the tardiness, I've been busy on Third Street and small-town Colorado. Digitally. **Edit:** There's a bit of a question/rant at the bottom. nothing too important, and you can skip it if you'd like.

* * *

_SR-1 Normandy._

_February 11th, 218,. 12 P.M._

"I'm just saying, they need experience." I restate to the pacing Shepard. With no word from the Council, beyond to keep a far lower profile, we've merely kept our ears to the ground for any activity.

"Well, what do you suggest then?" Shepard concedes.

"We're looking into that matter for Admiral Kahoku, right? That could be a good start."

"It'll be dangerous." Shepard says again.

"True, but any combat will be dangerous. Without field experience, they won't be able to deal with Saren, or his Geth." This argument is the reason he's even considering it.

"I guess it'll be hard for them to get experience without actually getting it." He says.

"So you'll allow them on?" I ask. He nods, grudgingly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." He warns. "You have to command them when we drop." He starts to walk back to the elevator.

"Cool.. Wait, what?"

* * *

(Tali POV)

"So, that's the score." Cory tells me. We stand in Engineering, myself for the obvious reasons, and Cory due to the lack of things to occupy his time, or so he says. He is very good with the code aspect of Engineering, so maybe it is his only reason.

"Okay. Where are we headed?" I ask.

"Voyager Cluster," He answers. "Some uninteresting, uncomfortable little planet is being used by a former-Alliance splinter-cell for research that is less than pretty. Kohaku said that these guys are behind that trap on Edolus."

"No wonder Shepard is so eager to get these guys then." I say, and he frowns a bit.

"Get these guys?" He asks, eyes now fully focused on my own.

"Well, that's what we're doing, right?" I ask, confused.

"There's more to it than that," He nearly spits, seemingly angry. "Tali, fighting the Geth is one thing; centuries of hate, mixed in with the fact that they're more software operating frames than actual people, makes the line clear. But organics? People, individual, with their own thoughts, loves, hopes and dreams? Are you willing to snuff that out?"

"W-what?" I'm halfway between bewildered, and pissed. "What do you mean. What do you think happened on the Citadel?"

"Fear, mixed with self-preservation." He answers, his emotions shifting in a way that makes me highly uncomfortable and defensive. "It was your first time, the first time you dealt death. And it has affected you."

"And how do you know that?" I ask bitterly, even more so because he's correct.

"It's written in your body language, the way you held that pistol when you shot that man. You were in shock, conscious processing what the subconscious was already trying to compartmentalize." He starts to pace a bit, no longer focused on me." I'm asking you now, are you able to pull the trigger again? Because if you aren't, if you hesitate, you, your teammates, they will pay the price. If you can't do it, then you don't have to. Being above killing a living person is far from weakness."

Again, his words ring with me, and drain my anger. "This mission is far too important for me to back away now." I start to explain, but I'm just as quickly cut off.

"You see, there is where you are wrong." He says. "You don't need to be here. There is nothing saying you can't walk away." He looks at me directly. "I don't say this to doubt your skills; on the contrary, you are more than capable for the kind of missions we are going to be on, in terms of skill. But mentally? There will be no room for hesitation."

"Why do you ask this?" The question is eating at me now.

"How old are you, Tali?" He asks, throwing the conversation in a completely different track.

"By Earth standards?" I take a moment with my Omni-Tool to convert the numbers. " 22, or so." Such a strange question.

"About what I figured. And how old do you think I am?" 'Where is he going with this?'

"Shepard's age, maybe? I'm not very good with judging age." I confess, shuffling a bit. He chuckles, but there's no real humor in it.

"Tali, I'm a year younger than you are." I look at him in shock. 'That means.. Oh, Ancestors.'

"I took my first life long before what made me.. What I am, happened." He explains. "Just a scared, pissed kid. I've never developed morals the way I should have, or a conscience. Only a.. Presence, a silent Voice, shutting out emotion and thought in life-threatening situations." I want to say something, but the words are stuck in my throat. " Sometimes, not even my life. I'm a killer, Tali. Death and I, we have an established relationship."

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask, finally able force the question out.

"Because, I don't want you to become like me, heartless and cold." He trails off at this.

"You've seemed anything but, for as long as I've known you." I soon realize the stupidity of my own words. 'I've only known him for a few days. He could be a madman! And yet, he seems.. Anything but.'

"To most, I hold little regard for their lives, unless it affects me in some direct way." There is no real tone in his voice, yet there it rests in his eyes: guilt, and sadness. Emotions buried, but existent.

"I don't buy it." I say evenly, and he raises an eyebrow." You feel what you have done, and you know it. You don't want to feel it, but you do. And that proves you aren't heartless." He smirks a bit at this, but doubt is etched on his face.

"You sound frighteningly similar to an old friend of mine."

* * *

(POV Cory)

"Goddess!" Dark blood dripping off of gray armor. A face, panicked. Enemies approaching under cover fire. No time for anything thought out, then.

* * *

Forty-five minutes earlier

"Okay, scans show three separate buildings, each one occupied by the same people who laid the trap for those marines." Shepard is in full soldier mode now, although it seems like a cheap suit; fitting in all places, but comfortable in none. "As soon as we hit one place the rest will be tipped off, so we're going to split off and hit each building at the same time. I'll drive in close with the Mako, but far enough for everyone to dismount and get in position quietly."

"These are research bases, not hardened targets, but they do have security, including exterior anti-armor turrets. Infantry should be able to avoid their FOV's long enough to get inside. Questions so far?"

"Yes," Comes the voice of Kaiden. "Do we have any idea what they are researching? It could be hazardous."

"I've considered this," Shepard replies. "We'll go in with sealed gear, able to compartmentalize and peel off individual sections. Also, each team will have a biotic, and hazmat gear. Anything else?" He looks around at the group, but nobody voices any additional questions. "Alright, suit up. We're dropping in fifteen minutes." I stop him as the group begins to disperse. "Yes?" He asks.

"Shepard," I start. "Are you sure sending us three," I gesture to Liara, Tali, and myself. "In as a team is a good idea?"

"You three are hitting the smallest building, and you trained them. They'll listen to you, and you know best what they're capable of." He reasons.

"Then send them with Garrus." I insist.

"Something wrong, Cory?" Shepard asks.

"I'm.. I'm not exactly a leader, Shepard." I mumble.

"Says the man who leads the boogymen of Echo Rho Tau." He chuckles.

"I hate that name, still," I grumble. "But that's not the point. I'm the figurehead, perhaps, but I don't issue them commands. We're equals. They're my senior, if you want to be technical about it."

"I'm not asking you to lead them by the hand," He says. "Just to get them in and out on this. You can do it, no question."

"I don't want their blood on my hands."

"Then make sure it isn't spilled."

* * *

"Um.. Didn't think this through." Shepard stares at the interior of the Mako, and I see the problem as well. Even with the space added by the new design Shepard ordered, there isn't enough room for eight armored people. Even with everyone jammed into the smaller seats, two people are left standing.

"Welp," I start. "Kaiden, you're gonna have to sit in my lap buddy."

"Wha?" He looks at as though I 'd suggested he jumps out of the cargo door without a parachute.

"Well, I'm not going to make one of the ladies sit in my lap. That would be inappropriate." I add with a jaunty wink at the mentioned. Two of them look a bit flustered, and the third flips me off. You can guess who is who. "Liara can sit on Williams."

"And why is that?" The latter barks.

"Well, Tali is going to be on the instrument controls, and you don't want to sit in Liara's lap." I say, acting confused. "Do you?" If looks could kill...

"He has a point, Chief." Shepard adds in, watching the spectacle with amusement clear on his face.

"Fuu- Whatever. Let's just get this over with." She says as she climbs in.

"You know," Garrus mentions as he starts to climb in himself. "That'll probably bite you in the ass."

"Eh, gotta enjoy the little things."

* * *

"Commander. We are in position."

_"Understood. Everyone is ready. Do it."_

I nod to Tali, stacked up on the other side of the door, and pull the pin on an M-84 as the doors open. As soon as it goes off, we move in as one, taking cover and assessing the situation. Squarish room, multiple contacts caught off guard. Containment field in the center, holding...

"What is that?" Liara asks. Rachni.

"Open fire." I bark. And the order is followed. My own safety snaps off as my sights come up on the sniper in the back, temporarily exposed. Four rounds leave him no option to correct his mistake, blood spraying over the woman behind him, and she receives the same treatment before she can react. I turn to look on the other side of the room, an explosion cutting my thoughts short

"Ahhh!" A high pitched scream, punctuated by shotgun fire.

"Echo!" Comes the voice of Tali, and I rush over. Liara is slumped against the pillar, blood dripping down her armor, and a Cerberus soldier dead across from her. Hyperventilating, Liara looks at me, silently begging for help. The other soldiers are using the distraction to try to move up. Act now.

I rise, forcing one of the computer stations into the path of the soldiers, effectively blocking one side of the area from them, and spraying the rest of my magazine down the path, forcing them back. "Tali, other pillar!" She nods, moving to it and dumping pellets at speeds too fast to follow. I take a knee next to the still-panicking woman. "Hey!" I yell, and she focuses on me. "Look at me."

"This blood isn't yours. Wrong color." She looks at it, trying to force herself to be calm. "When that field goes down, I need you to fling that beast as hard as you can at those soldiers, you hear me?" I keep her attention, and she hesitates only a moment before nodding shakily. "You can do it." I stand up, tossing my only remaining flash for cover and moving to Tali.

"Plan?" She asks, now firing her P90.

"Hack that console, open up the containment field." She looks at the console in question behind us. "Now would be good." I mention, and she scrambles to it. New magazine already loaded without my actual focus, I keep the heads of the remaining guards down as best I can. I see the containment wall flicker, then fail altogether. "Liara, now!"

(Bannon POV)

"Why are we even under attack?!" Wells asks. "I thought we came out here to be away from people!"

"Shut up!" I bark as Vera is cut down by that strange weapon in the hands of the big one. "Kill them already! Owen, head for that con-"

"Liara, now!" Comes the synthesized bark of the big one. It's only then I realize that the containment field is down.

The next minute seems to be a bad dream as an enraged and partially-blinded monster stabs and spits at anything it can. I'm lucky, if you can call it that. It's rear end smashed me into the wall, leaving me dazed and watching in horror as my friends and colleagues are butchered. As I gain coherent thought, I realize that the gunfire has stopped, and the beast is still standing, injured, it's sights turned on me. I want to look away, but my eyes focus on the creature that is going to claim my life.

It never gets that close. As it nears, a swath of gunfire from behind it finally topples the half-dead nightmare. I look at my saviors, only to get a fresh burst of fear as I see my face partially reflected in a silver visor. Adrenaline courses through my veins as I reach for my Avenger. My hand reaches the grip before a boot comes down on it. But the stinging in my hand doesn't even register when the other boot comes smashing down on my arm, I can feel the bone grate out of place as the sheer agony swims up my arm and into my head.

"AAAGHH!"

"Shut up." The voice is distant and muffled to my agonized mind. "Commander, building secured. Things on your end?" He, and I can tell it's a he now, asks, his voice less distorted without the helmet on. And oddly familiar. I turn to see him as best I can form my awkward position, now pinned on my stomach by his armored knee.

"Ep.. Epsilon?" He turns his head sharply towards me, ignoring the voice relaying information from his radio. He looks at me only for a moment, before an armored fist smashes into my temple. My vision swimming, I want to puke as words are exchanged above me, but I pay no attention to them.

_"We have a location for their base of operations. Shut down the exterior turrets and we'll come pick you up. Shepard, out." _I look from the face regarding me to the Quarian standing beside the Asari, both looking at Epsilon for instruction. 'Who are these people?'

My thoughts are interrupted by a click, and a barrel resting against my swelling temple. My ears register a bang as my vision turns white.

**A/N: (Listed information not important, but thoughts) **Morning everyone! (Well, it's five a.m. here at least) I'm so sorry for the delays. Life, though :S. I had people P.M. me (Then block replies, cowards) crapping on my story, while providing no actual input. Really? Give me a reason you don't like the story that actually makes sense, please. And if you care that much, explain what you would like different, rather than ranting like a nine-year old playing an fps. Part of their whining? My choice in weaponry. If you'll actually consider it, using both old and new tech would give an edge in unconventional warfare. The reason (I would think) why the other races wouldn't do this is because they're stuck in the Eezo rut, and confine themselves to it, for the most part. Even humans. Guys, if you don't like the story, help me make it better. Or write your own, if you wish. But don't just flame it then hide. It only makes you seems pathetic, like a person with nothing to do with their time but insult people, while giving the other person no chance for reply. I'm doing this story for the people :] So make it better for everyone. Whew, rant over. In other news, Check out **Redentor **and his do's and don'ts on self-inserts. It provides an interesting, if slanted, view on the subject. A cynical view is often intelligent, if unfeeling.


	19. 19-1: The Ugly Chapter

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mass Effect, or anything much, for that matter.**

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**A/N: **What is up guys, I'm glad to release another chapter. I'm so sorry for the delays. Here we go, ladies[?] and gentlemen.

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_Normandy SR-1._

_February 11th, 2183. 4 P.M._

The trip back was muted, different revelations affecting everyone. We sit now in the comms room, going over the official debrief.

"Samples were sent back to the Alliance and the Council, along with those we took alive, so we can get more information on what we were dealing with on Binthu. Once the data encryption is broken, We'll lead the charge against the Cerberus base." Shepard finishes. "Anything anybody would like to add?" Liara stands rather uneasily, nervous at the sets of eyes on her.

"Um, Ec- Echo had somebody alive, down on Binthu," She looks at me, but my eyes hold no emotion for her to fear. "But he shot them. The man had said something beforehand." She adds, quickly sitting down and looking anywhere but my direction. Shepard locks eyes with me before speaking.

"Does this have something to do with what we discussed?" He asks simply, and my confirmation is an even simpler nod. "Unless there is anything else, dismissed." He says to the gathered individuals. As they filter out, Shepard takes a seat next to me.

"You look tired, Shepard." He chuckles at this.

"That obvious?"

"Nah, I'm just better at reading people than most." He looks at the door a moment, then slumps a little from his ridged posture.

"You know, I never asked for this stuff," He gestures at the the ship in general. "Command, power. Never asked for any of it."

"Then why take it?" I ask.

"Because Anderson felt I was good at it." He shrugs. "He changed my life back on Earth. Gave me the chance to become something more than a thug. But for all of it, I never wanted to be an officer. I'm awful at regulations, at desk-work. If I came under review, I'm sure I would lose my pension." He says jokingly.

"Maybe that's why you are a commander then." I state, and he looks at me as if to say 'continue.' " You have that ability to walk into a room, and take the attention of everyone in it. You've drawn together a team that in any other circumstances would be at eachother's throats, with knives in some cases." He nods. "Commanders, officers have regulations down, sure. But leaders? Leaders can bring a Krogan and a Turian into the same room without them killing eachother. A leader can look past someone's race and see their skill. Hell, If I had asked to join anyone else's ship, I would've been killed on the spot." I finish.

"To be fair, I already tried that." He says, and I raise an eyebrow. "Remember that N7 team sent to kill you?" My eyes widen at that. 'He was apart of that..?'

"Um.. Sorry about that." I mumble.

"I saw your skill first hand back then," He continues. "And I got access to files on you that most of the Alliance can't see. You have the kind of talent that a mission like this needs, and I knew from Hackett you weren't just an assassin." He looks me in the eyes. "So why are you trying to prove him wrong?" I sigh at this.

"He knew me, Shepard. And I knew him." I explain. "He was one of the numerous guards at Titan."

"Then why did you kill him? He could have given you information." Shepard reasons.

"He was a grunt Shepard. But he was Decker's main grunt. Which means Decker is involved with these people. One doesn't go anywhere without the other."

"Then we'll be able to find out more when we take these people down." Shepard states, and I nod. "Just next time, keep him alive until we know we don't need him, okay?"

"No promises, but I'll try."

"For now, we have a lead. The Geth have units out in the Armstrong Nebula. It could be scouts, or it could the precursor to an invasion force. We're gonna make sure it goes away, whatever the purpose."

"Sounds good, Shep." I make to get up and move away, only for Shepard to stop me.

"One more thing, Cory."

"Sure, what?" The next words catch me off-guard, a novel experience.

"Are you interested in Tali?"

* * *

"Ajsdnyhfru?" Shepard laughs.

"What the hell was that?"

"Nevermind that. Why do you ask?" I'm decidedly uncomfortable with the first question.

"Well, you two seem to get along, whereas Tali is fairly uncomfortable in speaking with anyone else on the ship. Plus, you've done more for her than anybody else probably would've done. "

"That's just the kind of person I am, Shepard." I start.

"Hmm. Just seems like you put more effort into it, for her." He smirks.

"Heh... To be honest Shepard, I couldn't get into a relationship like that," I say, and he looks confused. " Not because of race, or lack of intimacy, or whatever. Where I lived, Quarians weren't hated." Or known of, mostly, but I omit this detail. " I never grew up with any prejudice towards them. And there are ways to make those things work."

"The problem," I continue. "Is that I've never had much luck in this department. Tali is a good person, and there aren't too many of those left. But she reminds me way too much of somebody I used to know."

"Ana?" Shepard asks, catching entirely off-guard.

"You're more perceptive than I give you credit for." I say evenly.

"You know, you can talk about it if you want." Shepard offers.

"To be fair, I've told all of two people about her," I state. "And I'm not likely to tell anybody else, sorry."

"Okay, I understand." Shepard nods.

"Thanks." I say as the first beats of a song eminate from my Omni-Tool. " I'm gonna head down to the cargo bay, get Wrex's new toy ready for him. Cheers." As I walk out of the comms room and toward the elevator, the lyrics fire up.

_'You can tell ev'ryone I'm a down disgrace, drag my name all over the place. I don't care anymore.'_

* * *

"Wrex!" The Krogan looks at me, and his eyes brighten with interest at the case in my hands. "It's ready."

"Show me what you got then." He says, and I pop the clasps.

"Meet Grohiik." I say proudly, brandishing a weapon that, despite my best efforts, still looks like a block with a pistol grip. Ah well.

"Grohiik?" Wrex asks. "That didn't translate for me."

"It wouldn't. It means Wolf." I explain. "A revolver-style weapon, with some special skills." I smirk. "I could explain, but just try it out on the target I set up." I motion towards the bulls-eye at the end of the bay, and he takes a stance as I cover my ears.

The resulting crack is enormous, and has the added bonus of scaring the living hell out of Garrus and Ashley. Amazingly, the Requisitions guy looks completely unfazed. Wrex looks to me. "Surprising amount of power." He says.

"Take a look at the target." I say simply, and he does.

"Seven marks." He says, mildly surprised. "Very tight spread."

"About the size of a fist," I confirm. "With each pellet packing a nasty punch. They're slightly delayed from one another, so the first few can take the shields with the rest hitting the target full force."

"Not bad, Echo." Wrex says.

"But wait, there's more."

"Eh?"

"... Nevermind. Just give me the weapon." He does, and I hit the sink release. It pops open on the side, revealing a cylinder with six separate pistol sinks. "The power of the shot overheats the sink pretty much instantly, so rather than finding a workaround that every military in the Galaxy is pouring credits into finding, I just added more." I say with a smirk. "Each pull of the trigger also cycles a new sink into place."

"Clever." Wrex admits.

"Ah, but that's only half of it." I reply. "The most recently-fired sink is sprayed with a coolant of my own design. It cuts the overheat time in half. By the time You've fired the sixth shot, The first is ready. That only works once if you're firing it one right after the other, though. But that's twelve straight shots, or more if you pace yourself." I chuckle at Wrex's surprised face. "I take it you like?" He nods."The design also uses a rather archaic heat monitoring system, but that prevents it being sabotaged." His eyes show approval at this. " Okay, ready to hear the drawbacks?" He nods again, albeit less enthusiastically.

"Well," I start. "The fire rate is fairly low, with the sinks having to cycle right, and the power drops off at range. It'll hit at medium range, but the shots won't do as much damage. It's still far more powerful than a pistol at that range though. Because of it's design, it doesn't fold up, and the recoil would snap my wrists if I tried to fire it."

"I felt that." Wrex says.

"Yup. Also, the coolant should be cleaned off the sinks every once in a while, cos it tends to not burn off completely. Maybe once every few days, if you use it a lot." I finish. "So, what do you think?"

"It's perfect." He says, and I smile.

"I'm glad you like it. Cannibalized a few different weapons to put that thing together, so use it well. No charge." I add with a wink. "Call it a favor."

"I can live with that." Wrex nods. "I was wrong about you, Echo. You know what you're doing. Well enough, at least."

"High praise, from a Battlemaster." I chuckle again.

"You better believe it." He returns the chuckle. "And don't expect it often. Or at all. You may just disappoint yourself."

"I'm full of surprises, big man." I say. "Now come here. Let's get the grip molded."

* * *

**AN: (Trigger Warning! Rant)** Okay, once again I am so sorry for the delays. If you want to come egg my house or something, I'd have it coming. I'll even give you my address if you P.M. me. I hate this chapter. It's ungodly short, and does absolutely nothing for the story, but I had to give you guys something, so consider it Ch. 19.1, and the rest will come later as an update to this chapter, rather than separate. The good news is I've found a bit of a muse in Noisestorm, so I should start making stuff a bit more. for this morning (8:30 A.M. Central U.S. Standard Time) I have a doctor's appointment. Busted ribs are a b*tch. Once more, I beg your collective forgiveness. This was so not worth the wait, but hang in there folks. This story will never die. I promise that. And thank you guys! 50 reviews, and 100 followers was a lot more than I expected at this point, and it's really cheered me up. You guys makes this story =]


	20. Ugly chapter 19-2: Ugly harder

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mass Effect, EA, Bioware, or CreatureHub.**

* * *

**A/N: **.. Fuck it, I'll just write.

* * *

_Casbin, Hong system, Armstrong Nebula._

_February 13th, 9 A.M._

(Ashley POV)

"Shepard, you want me to drive?" Wrex grunts as the Mako jerks violently from another jump.

"I got it." He grunts back. "Tali, location update."

"Keep heading North, Commander." She replies, watching the console at her station. I look around the cab. With Vakarian manning the gun, The cargo/passenger space was filled by Wrex, myself, and... Him. I couldn't even think about the man without my gut churning. The worst Humanity has to offer, no doubt. And a hypocrite to boot.

"Williams." I'm shaken from my thoughts by Wrex. "I can practically feel the hate radiating off of you." I look to Weston, but his eyes are closed, and the headphones on his head suggest he's not paying attention.

"He's just.. Ugh." I nearly hiss. "I can't stand him."

"And why is that?" He asks.

"Because he's... He's a killer. He's an asshole. He makes Humans look bad. He makes me uncomfortable." I look at his pockets. "Look at that!" I growl. "He carries rosary beads, but acts like a godless heathen!"

"Don't hold back Williams, tell him how you really feel." Shepard chuckles, and I realize how much my voice climbed.

"Well, he just.. I don't get him. And he pisses me off."

"If you asked, you might learn a thing or two." Weston says, and I pale as I look towards him. His headphones were off and folded up in a pocket. "You question my faith when you nothing about me." His expression is bland, but his tone is decidedly irritated. "You judge me for things you have no idea of. Go through what I have Williams, then cast your judgement. For that matter, who are you to judge? You're nothing more than a grunt with something to prove. Something that will ultimately get you killed." His words bite hard, but I have no time to reply.

"Echo, We're here. Set up on the ridge, cover us. Hopefully no Colossi will drop from the sky." The assembled team shudders at the memory of a few hours ago.

"Sir." He replies, donning his helmet and exiting the Mako.

"Now," Shepard mutters. "Into the lion's den."

* * *

"Lion's den indeed, Shepard." Wrex states, looking around at the mess we made. "But too small to be the main base."

"I was just thinking the same thing." He nods. "Garrus?"

"Signal's coming from a different system Shepard. One that we didn't check."

"Alright, ready up folks. We're chasing that signal."

* * *

(Tali POV)

'KeelahKeelahKee-'

"Ready?" Shepard barks, cutting my worry off. "On three." 'The Geth, a real fight with the Geth.'

"One." 'On foot, lots of them.'

"Two." 'Why are they all so calm? This is so dangerous, don't they know that?'

"Three!" Like a wave, we crashed through the door, thought giving way to training as the two Troopers at the door collapse under the fire near-instantly, and we move into the main area. Geth are everywhere, pelting us with Mass-accelerated slugs as we get into cover. Cory is gone, halfway across the room and flanking several units before we got pinned down. Shepard is already directing fire.

"Garrus, watch the balcony! Wrex, keep those Husks off of us. Echo, open up a hole for us."

"With pleasure." The latter responds, and Geth start dropping in bursts. As they turn towards the new danger, problems arise for us.

"Shepard!" I yell. "Juggernauts coming!" He looks, and sure enough, they're marching in, keeping us in cover with Carnage fire. The next minutes seem to blur into a haze of gunfire, explosions, and shouts of orders. The next thing I realize, I'm separated from the others, with the remaining Juggernaut turning a corner and leveling a rifle at my head.

A few months ago, I would be dead. But moving on instinct is something Garrus and Cory hardwired into me at this point. I'm around it in a flash, Forcing the weapon to the side and jamming my shotgun into it's head and pulling the trigger.

Only for said shotgun to spark and nothing else. I have no time to consider this as I'm sent flying into a crate. My vision is swimming, and I feel like I'm going to puke from the force of the impact as I draw my pistol. I move before the unit can pull the trigger, jamming the weapon under it's chin and not letting up until the gun overheats. I'm kneeling next the now defunct monster, chest heaving and hands shaking as I escape death again.

"Tali." A voice calls, and I ignore it until I jerk as a hand lands on my shoulder. "Hey," The voice says again, and as I turn to it I realize it's Shepard, with Cory and Liara on the other side. "It's okay," Shepard says quietly. "It's over." He turns to Liara. "Get her back on the Mako, okay?" She nods, pulling me up and leading me away. I'm too out of it to care.

* * *

(Shepard POV)

"Way too close." Cory mutters, looking at the Juggernaut.

"Yeah, but she handled it." I reply. "You trained her well." He shakes his head.

"No training can prepare you for something like that." He says, picking up Tali's shotgun. It's an ancient looking weapon, with plating engraved in a similar pattern as Tali's suit.

"Look's like we oughta replace that." I mention.

"Maybe" he says, looking it over.

"Shepard, we've got something." Garrus calls, and we head over. "Some kind of signal was sent off to the Perseus Veil. Not sure what, considering Geth we're shooting at us. But that's not what I called you over for." He steps away form the readout, and I take his place. My eyes widen at the information.

"Weapons data, Geth Hopper schematics, evolution. This is a map of the Geth and their activity over the past 300 years. The Alliance would love to have their hands on this." I remark.

"Or the Quarians." Cory states, and I look up at him. "The blueprints and playbook of their greatest enemy? Highly valuable." I smile a bit at this.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask him, and he nods. "Good. Let's head back to the Normandy."

* * *

(Tali POV)

The sound of boots alerts me before he says anything. Only one person would come down here wearing Alliance boots who wasn't already in attendance. "Shepard." I greet him. "You have a moment?"

"Of course, Tali." He smiles. what do you need?"

"I heard about that data you found, down on Solcrum." I start, getting nervous as I ask my next question. "Is there any chance... I could get a copy of it? It would a huge help for my pilgrimage, and that kind of data would mean a better understanding of the Geth for my people..." I trail off as I see the look on Shepard's face.

"Tali, I'm sorry, but Hackett requested the information be sent straight to him, with no back-ups. I had to follow orders." My mood is crushed at the news.

"It's.. I understand Shepard. An Admiral's word is law on the Flotilla as well." I say, averting my eyes and trying to force down the lump in my throat.

"Although.." He starts, And I look back up at him. "If someone who was, say, unaffiliated with the Alliance, got their hands on it and gave it to you, well, I wouldn't have much say in it." He says with a smirk, and I realize his meaning. Before he can react I have him in a hug.

"Oh, thank you Shepard!" I nearly squeal, quickly letting him go.

"Well, it wasn't exactly my idea," He says, rubbing his neck. "I'm not the one who you should thank." He adds, walking back towards the door. "We'll be heading to the Attican Beta cluster soon. We've got another lead, a big one this time." I look back towards Cory who's smirking at me. As I walk towards him, He holds his hand out, dropping an OSD into my palm.

"You're welcome." He says. "You can skip the pounce though." I blush a bit at this.

"Thank you." I say, dropping the OSD into a pocket. My now-free hand is used to then slug him.

"The hell was that for?" He asks, rubbing his shoulder.

"For making me think Shepard tossed the data."

"You think that was my idea?"

"Yes."

"Ingrate." He says with a chuckle.

"Bosh'tet."

* * *

**A/N: **I.. Don't have a good reason for my absence, not really. I'm sorry it's taken this long for me to get something done, but... Nah, I'm not gonna make excuses. The story lives on though! I'm not dropping it. Hopefully you guys won't either. Thanks for sticking with it for this long. I tried to do something with the combat other than give a blow-by-blow. With a first person POV story, You're not watching what everyone else is doing, you're keeping your eyes on your problems. You don't do that in a firefight, you're dead, which I think is the flaw in some S.I. stories. Also, everybody mentally deals with that kind of situation differently. I've spoken to people who've had to before. So, some people will be entirely focused, while some will blur out the violence. It's a defense mechanism. (End of explaining my crappy writing).


	21. Feros: Geth Attack

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, The Electric Company, or Nissan.**

* * *

**A/N: **I'm back, Hopefully. Kind of. Ish. :s I'm hating life right now.

* * *

_Normandy SR-1, orbiting Feros, Theseus System, Attican Beta Cluster_

_February 18th, 2183. 10 P.M., Zhu's Hope Time._

(Liara)

The Geth don't nap, I guess. We're gearing up to head into the colony tonight, rather than waiting.

"Alright, we'll be planetside in a few minutes. Wrex, Kaiden, I want you two to stay here as backup, in case anything goes sideways." Shepard orders, with little argument from them. "The rest of you are with me. Let's do it."

We move out of the airlock, weapons raised, only to find a colonist. As Shepard moves to talk to him, I look at everyone else. Garrus and Tali are focused on the man, But Ashley is watching Cory, as he... Seems to be staring off into nothing. Famous last words, when he dives into the colonist, preventing the man's head from exploding.

"Down!" I'm forced into cover to prevent the same thing by Ashley. Cursing at my lapse in focus, I pull my pistol from my hip, and join the fight.

* * *

(Garrus)

The fight is short thanks to our combined arms, and I take a look at Zhu's Hope as we make our way to their leader. There are portable floodlights scattered about as the few people outside try to make repairs to critical utilities.

"They look more like refugees than colonists." Dr. T'soni remarks, and I nod. Their cattle-weary look, and sluggish movements fit with the description.

"These people have been under constant attack." Shepard states. "They're not soldiers, or even militiamen. They've no experience in this kind of thing." Our conversation dies down as we approach the colony leader.

* * *

(Ashley)

"Fai Dan?" Shepard asks the two people at the barricade, and the man steps forward.

"That would be me. And you are?" He inquires.

"Commander Shepard, Alliance." Shepard responds.

"Well Commander, thank you for coming. As you can see, we're in a bit of a situation here."

"Where have you been, Commander?" The woman standing next to Fai Dan cuts in. "You're a fair bit late to be helping us. And your group looks a bit strange to be Alliance."

"Arcelia, please." Fai Dan chastises her. "We owe this man." He turns back to Shepard to continue, only to turn back towards the tower. "Oh, no. More are coming!" He shouts to Shepard. "We need to protect the colony!" He declares, swiftly retreating to a safe distance. What an ass. 'Then again, he might have the right idea.' I reflect briefly as the air becomes filled with gunfire.

* * *

(Shepard)

Things were going so well, too, until they started dropping on our heads. We had made our way further into the building and just mopped up those damnable recon drones when a dropship settled in above our heads, too quiet for me to notice. We would all be dead if not for Weston giving us a moments warning. As it stood, we were left scattered, out of cover, with the larger, nastier units right in the middle of us.

When the dust cleared, Vakarian was on the ground, Weston right by his side.

"Shotgun blast at close range, barely missed the Femoral," He rattles off as He applies a blue-striped injector to Vakarian's leg. "Or the Turian equivalent." He adds, before shaking his head a bit.

"How are you feeling?" I ask the groaning man.

"Like Wrex tried to eat my leg." He replies. "Is it bad?" He asks the man tending to said leg.

"There's some tissue damage, nothing that the Medi-Gel won't stabilize long enough for Chakwas to put it back together." Weston informs him. "Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to run anywhere on it for a little while."

"Damn, I have to go back to the Normandy, huh?" The injured man asks me.

"It's for the best, Garrus."

"Well, don't expect me to be happy about it. "He grumbles. "Don't have too much fun without me."

"Well," Weston starts, "I'll score some headshots for ya man, don't worry."

"Worry? I'm just worried the big bad robots will dominate you all without me there."

* * *

"You handled that pretty well." I comment as we come back from dropping Vakarian off, back-up in tow.

"What'cha mean?" He asks, checking over his weapons along the way.

"Well, you got everybody moving when that thing came from out of nowhere, and you stitched Garrus up pretty well for a field job. You even had Dextro Medi-Gel on hand."

"I usually come prepared, Shepard." He replies, holstering his shotgun, and I take a look at his gear.

"To tell you the truth, I'm surprised you don't have a massive rifle strapped to your back." I say,

"Can't take it everywhere." He shrugs. "It starts to lose effectiveness at closer range, mostly because of it's size and weight." He draws his P90. "This one, meanwhile, won't leave my hands until my last breath does too."

"Seems small, compared to your armor."

"It packs enough punch to make up for the loss of intimidation." He says with a smirk. When we get back to the team, I start to explain the plan.

"Okay, The Geth seem to be focused around ExoGeni HQ, across the skyway." I say as my Omni-Tool projected map flickers. "An issue with this is that there are still Geth in the Tunnels under Zhu's Hope. There are also issues with water, power, and food here that can be solved down there as well."

"Kaiden, Echo, Wrex," I point to them. "You three are going down there and getting this done. Tali, Liara, and Ashley are coming with me to the HQ. Any questions?" I ask, wrapping up.

"Yes," Wrex starts. "Why are we getting the punk duty?" I chuckle a bit at this.

"Don't worry, there'll be plenty down there for you to do, a fair bit of it exciting." I add with a smirk at Wrex's eyeroll. "If that's all, then lets get moving."

* * *

(Tali)

"Hold up." I look behind us to the green/gray-armored man wielding a shotgun. The armor is silver where various rounds hit, creating an almost artistic-looking array of pockmarks and lines where it saved his life. "You should take this." He says, flipping the weapon and offering it to me.

"Thanks, but why?" I ask quizzically.

"I have four weapons, you have one." He explains. "You can put it to better use anyways."

"Well, thank you then. I'll treat it well." I assure him.

"I would hope so," He chuckles. "It cost a fair bit to make."

* * *

(Ashley)

"Commander! I can't aim this damn thing when you're swerving all over the place."

"Tell that to the Geth." He mutters. "Hang on!" Is all the warning we get as he hits the thrusters again, dodging the pulse shot and nearly sending us off the skyway. My stomach lurches as we land on Geth, judging from the sound.

"Urghhh.." I look down to find our biotic talent looking as though she wants to puke all over me, along with the rest of interior.

"Easy girl," I chide her gently. "Just breathe, and try to relax."

"Eyes up, Chief." And as easy as that, I'm back to the turret.

* * *

"This place is a mess." The interior of the tower shows it's age, with piles of debris sitting around for far longer than the now-destroyed Geth. "You sure did a number on these things, Tali." I comment, kicking one of them as she looks over the weapon in her hands.

"It was more the shotgun," She says, distracted. "Could you tell me what this is?" She asks, showing me an inscription along the side.

"Hmm, it's in Arabic," I mention, pulling up my Omni-Tool. "Let me find the translation." The scan I run brings it up quickly. "Well, doesn't somebody have a sense of humor." Tali looks at me with confusion, and I elaborate. "It's the first line of Psalm 144. It translates to: _Praise be to the Lord my Rock,who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle._"

"And the amusing part?" Tali asks.

"It's inscribed in Arabic. The people who created and speak in this language practiced a religion that was very unfriendly to the religion this text is from."

"Rather ironic, then." Tali says.

"Yeah, didn't know Epsilon had a sense of humor."

"While that's all well and good, Chief, can we get moving?" Shepard chuckles from the path deeper into the tower, and I blush.

"Yes, Commander." I reply quickly, hustling to catch up to him.

* * *

(Cory)

"Why did we get the shit job?" Kaiden mutters as we descend Into the tunnels under Zhu's hope.

"I figure Shepard just wanted to take the ladies with him." I reply sarcastically, eying the tunnels with apprehension. Kaiden slows a bit at this statement.

"You think so?" He asks, and I consider it, chuckling.

"Could be they're there for there talents," I start. "Or, it could be for their _assets." _I finish with a smirk.

"I'm sure." He laughs off.

"No, seriously," I say, putting a serious expression on. "Those are some very attractive girls."

"Well, yeah," Kaiden admits. "But Tali? I mean, I've never seen an unmasked Quarian. They could look like Krogan for all you know."

"I would know, actually." I say, and he looks surprised. "You'd be amazed at what I've seen, Herr Alenko."

"I should've figured you for the type." He mutters.

"Actually, it wasn't a romantic situation, or a female for that matter."

"And here I thought you were some kind of deviant." He drawls. "So you're basing it off of one person, for an entire race? How rude of you." His demeanor is joking.

"I have high hopes from the encounter. It was one sexy dude." I say, and Kaiden snorts.

"Right. Well, back to the actual subject."

"Whether or not Shepard is a player?"

"Yep. Now that you said it, I think the matter will have to investigated. After all, We might have to guard those girls from a predator such as the Commander." As he says this, I smille grows on my face to match his.

"Kaiden, I think you and I will become fast friends."

* * *

(Ashley)

"Arggh, stupid machine!" The Krogan growls as we start to creep up on him. "Tell me what I want to know!"

"I'm sorry," The V.I. rambles off again. "But you do not have authorization to see that information. Now will you please return to your day? You have a line forming up behind you." Oh, shit. As he starts to turn, we open up with our respective assault rifles, the sheer fire making him stumble mid-charge and finally fall dead, a few short feet in front of us.

"Krogan do not want to go down," Shepard remarks as we walk past.

"Too bad they don't have a sense of self-preservation." Liara replies.

"It's good for us, Doc. Let's see what he was trying to figure out."

* * *

(Cory)

"Ah, fuck." I sit glaring at the busted third water readout. We decided to split up, each of us taking a different direction to save time. Now I was looking at a panel that wouldn't work, owed to the rounds that grazed it. In a fit of frustration, I kick the pipe, and again. And again. I only stop when said pipe starts making hissing noises at me. "Oh, shut up." It doesn't of course, but starts making another noise: rushing water. The pipe's a fair bit dented and leaking from where my boot made contact, but it's working again. "Must've kicked something into place," I mutter.

"Echo! Wrex! Anybody!" comes over the radio, amidst the sounds of growling.

"Kaiden?" I ask, making my way towards the center of the tunnels. "What's up?"

"Big, nasty Varren trying to make me a meal!" I don't ask anything else, heading toward his position. I get there in time to see blood dripping from the beasts' claws, it trying to tear Kaiden open. I don't hesitate, running full force into the beast and bringing it off of him.

This raised two important factors: It was no longer on Kaiden, and it was now angry at me. It demonstrated this by charging me into the defunct Grizzly, now intent on ripping me apart. I keep forcing it's claws away, one catching my helmet as I jam my legs under it, pushing off and sending it away from me. I'm scrambling for my pistol when the report of a shotgun goes off, stunning the beast. I look to the source, seeing a blood-stained Wrex grinning ferally at the beast. The alpha looks scared now at the odds, and tries to run for it, only to fall dead as our firepower brings it stumbling down. I lean back onto the Grizzly, closing my eyes.

"Echo, you good?" Wrex calls.

"Yeah," I reply, Not opening my eyes." Thanks man. Kaiden, you good?"

"I'm good." He confirms. "I thought I got them all, And I was yanking the power cells out of that Grizzly when that asshole came out of nowhere. Splitting up wasn't the best of ideas." Kaiden points out.

"I got my job done," Wrex grunts. "You two were the ones who should've stayed together. I just came in to save your asses."

"My hero," I groan, finally getting up. "Kaiden, if you're alright, rip those power cells and lets get the hell out of here." He nods, and I'm about to continue when we hear... Screeching. The sounds of claws on stone.

"Uh, what is that?" Kaiden asks.

"Knowing my luck? A zombie horde." I mutter, drawing my P90.

"Hope you're wrong." Wrex says, and he actually looks shaken. As the first Thorian creeper comes into the Varren nest, I reply.

"I wish I was."

* * *

I wish that this was worth the wait. I... I'm doing what I can, when I can. The story isn't coming along the way I planned it to. All I can say is thanks for sticking with it for this long. It's not done by any means, but I'm not sure when the next chapter will come, considering the last couple. It will come, at least. I apologize for the wait. Hopefully, the next chapter will be written soon.


	22. Feros: The Thorian

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Batman, or UFC.**

**A/N:** Hai everybody, I still live, despite the best efforts. Let's continue, eh?

* * *

Normandy SR-1, en route to Feros.

February 18th, 2183. 5:30 P.M.

"You always say that silly." Comes the giggle of the only girl I have left in this world.

"And I mean it, Letti. You're my world, and I'll never let anything happen to you."

"Daddy, when are you coming home? Me and Mommy miss you." My face drops a bit at this, but I keep the smile up.

"I can't, not just yet. I'm doing something very important. As soon as it's done, I'll be walking through the door, I promise."

"Are you sure?" She asks, and the doubt in her voice hurts.

"Of course, sweetheart. I'm sure. Nothing is going to stop me. Put Mommy back on, ok?"

"Okay Daddy. I love you!"

"I love you too." There's a bit of jostling, and Lidria comes on.

"That girl worships you, you know. You shouldn't lie to her like that."

"Wasn't a lie." I reply. "I'm coming to see her for a while, once all of this is over."

"So you really are with the new Spectre?" She asks, and I turn the Omni-Tool towards Shepard's spot in the mess hall, who looks up from his noodles and gives a little wave. "Well, damn. I thought you were full of shit yet again. You come out of this then, Okay? Keep your promise."

"Don't worry, It's only chasing the most dangerous criminals in the Galaxy. What could possibly go wrong?" She shakes her head at me. "I'll be fine, don't worry. Say hi to your sister for me." As I end the call, Ashley rounds the corner.

"Did I hear right, Epsilon? You have a child?" Is the first thing she says to me all day.

"That I do, Williams. This bother you?" My reply is fairly sharp.

"Not particularly." She shrugs. "If I may ask, why are you out here if you care about her so much? I mean, if you want to be apart of her life, you need to be there." I start to speak, but she cuts me off. "You can't be the best parent for her out here." I want to snap off at her, but the words are true. I consider my words as she looks at me.

"More than a few times, I've been asked if I think I'm really the best thing for my daughter. This is something I've considered for a long time, and I came to a conclusion."

"Which is?"

"Nobody in this life is perfect. Lord knows I'm not. But I love her more than anyone else ever will. In the end, that's all that matters." The answer seems to stop her in her tracks, and she doesn't speak up as I head to the elevator.

* * *

(Present time, Shepard)

**"**Now!" I call, and Tali slams the button home, making the shutter slam down on the Geth ship with enough force to sever it's landing point, and the comms blackout it was causing. As the static lifts, Kaiden's voice comes in over the comms.

_"...The Hell have you been, Commander!? We've tried to hail you guys for the past ten minutes!"_

"Alenko, We've just knocked out the blackout on ExoGeni tower. What's going on over there?"

_"We're under attack. Some sort of.. Creature. Not Geth, organic. Very hard to put down." _

_"Wrex, the shotgun. Shotgun! The rifle's not causing enough trauma." _Comes across in the background.

"Was that Weston? What's wrong?" I ask.

_"His helmet's electronics are shot. These things shoot acid from their mouths, on top of everything else. Requesting immediate assistance."_

"We're done here, and on our way out." I say as we rush our way down and out of the building. "Be there soon."

_"Hurrying would be good." _He chimes in_._

"Just hold on. Shepard out."

* * *

(Cory)

"Well?" I ask, loading a half-emptied magazine from earlier.

"He's on the way. Should be around ten minutes."

"If we can last that long." Wrex rumbles, splattering another creeper across the wall. They came like a wave, and their numbers won't thin. We backed ourselves into the Varren room, and now the doorway is the only thing keeping them choked up. Outside of it, They're pressed shoulder to shoulder, at least two hundred of them.

"There are a lot of them," I admit, the last of my rounds for the P90 smearing greenish.. Blood? Plant matter? Across the back wall. I slide it back onto my back, drawing my pistol. "But I'll be damned if I'm going to die here. You almost sound worried, Wrex." He doesn't even get upset over that.

"Creatures like this make me... Uncomfortable. Things that keep moving when they should be dead."

"They die just as everything else can." Kaiden says, catching me off-guard. "Besides Wrex, if you die, nobody will get anything done." He chuckles.

"You're right." Wrex smirks, looking a little more comfortable. "Somebody needs to watch out for this ragtag band of heroes."

"If you want to be a hero, I guess." I shrug. "I'd rather not have the title. I kill bad guys, so decent guys don't have to. It's not heroic."

"No, we're not heroes, Weston." Wrex says. "But we're the ones doing the things that need done. I'm glad you recognize that."

I look up at him. "Then let's do our job."

"More coming!" Kaiden warns us.

"Lets do this."

* * *

(Ashley)

The ride back is more perilous than the first time thanks to Shepard's rush to get back. Our scrape with the Exo-Geni team only seemed to further rush him. It was a lot to be concerned about, to be fair. A sentient plant, seemingly possessed colonists, and.. Whatever the hell Alenko was talking about.

That said thing reared it's head as we approached the door back to the colony. As Shepard slows the Mako down, I wish he hadn't.

The first thing I notice is the face. Hollow eyes, stretched-looking gray skin, a cruel, soulless mockery of a Human. As it rises, it shows it's vicious claws, long enough to gore someone up close. A sickly, glistening slime covers it, running down it's body and from it's mouth. And as it stands up, it locks on the Mako, seemingly staring straight at me. And it screams.

It was disturbing, before. But now, as it emits a blood-curdling, glass-shattering wail, it moves up to terrifying.

"Ashley."

As it stops, the others rise, and begin to converge on us.

"Ashley!" The sound is weak on my ears. "Fire!" Pure training kicks in, swiveling the turret on the nearest creature and opening fire as my mind remains blank. "Alenko, status." Shepard orders on the comm.

_"Holding, Commander." _Kaiden reports._ "Weapons are starting to lose effectiveness with the constant overheats. We're trying to slow down their use, but there are just so damn many. The sinks can't catch a break."_

"We'll only be a moment, now. Everyone, out." He orders to us, and I look at him. "We need to move."

* * *

(Cory)

They come like a storm, never seeming to cease. in twos and threes, they push through the door into our fire. They struggle more now to get through the pile of bodies that have started to pile up. We start to catch our breath as the numbers trickle down. That is, until those numbers start to climb out of the pile we put down. Like a cheap horror movie they rise from the pile of corpses, body parts missing, but still hell-bent on ripping our throats open. "Oh, come on!"

"What in the hell are these things?" Wrex asks the room at large.

"Good question," I reply. "We can look into the matter later. For now..." I trail off, fiddling with my omni-tool.

"We don't have time for texting, Cory." Kaiden comments.

"Not texting." I murmur, linking my suit speakers to play. "Just getting to ready to get out of here." As the song starts to pick up, I do the only thing left to me: pull my blade out f it's shoulder sheath.

_" 'Cause sometimes you feel tired, feel weak. And when you feel weak, you feel like you just wanna give up._

_"But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength and just pull that shit out of you, and get that motivation to not give up, and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse."_

"He's gone crazy." Kaiden comments idly as I drive the serrated blade through the head of the first creeper that comes in.

"Or Krogan." Wrex replies to him.

"There's a difference?" He asks, and Wrex chuckles at this.

"Yeah. Krogans can take the punishment. Still, let's make sure he survives the transformation." He says as he pops the floodlight we took down here out of place and starts to carry it like a flashlight.

"Then lets do this."

* * *

We move like a charging Rhino, forcing our way through the mass of bodies pressing against us from all sides. We fight our way up the stairs. The darkness, snarls and gunfire seem like something out of a nightmare. My plan isn't as stupid as it sounds thankfully, factoring in Wrex and Kaiden using their biotics to keep the claws of the creepers away from our skin. With enough room, we make our way up and out, just in time to be shot at.

It's fast; a strangled "Fuck!", followed by the sounds of more gunfire, and I'm dragging a bleeding Kaiden behind a crate. "Shit." He curses again, holding his shoulder.

"You good?" I ask, looking over the rest of him.

"Yeah, it just hurts like a motherfucker." He replies.

"Didn't take you for a pottymouth, Lieutenant."

"You get shot, see what you say." He grumbles.

"I have been shot. More than once."

"You're weird though."

Yup. "Shepard, come in." I call into Kaiden's radio piece. Static. "Shepard. Anybody there?" Shit.

"Thought you talked to him earlier." Wrex grunts, seemingly happy to shoot at people again.

"Take it easy Wrex, these people aren't acting right." I warn him.

"They aren't. They're shooting us."

"It doesn't mean they want to." I insist.

"Fine, you let them kill you then." He turns to kill another puppet of the Thorian, only for them to collapse in a cloud of gas. I look behind us, and the returning heroes are there. Shepard instantly takes control of the situation, checking Kaiden's shoulder, distributing the modified grenades, and explaining the situation to the uninformed members.

"ExoGeni dropped the ball on this one," Shepard finishes. "Big time. But at least the people here won't have to worry now."

"What happened?" I ask.

"Their representative is dead." He replies bluntly. "And once the Thorian is too, I imagine their interest in this place will drop." Not the best thing to happen, but...

We press on, and with the grenades it's a simpler task of securing the topside and closing off the stairway until we can deal with the root of the crap. "Kaiden.." Shepard starts.

"I'm good commander." He repeats, irritated with the idea of not coming with.

"Somebody should stay behind, watch over the colonists," Shepard says, standing firm. "And with you wounded, you're not gonna be 100%. We don't know what to expect down there." As he's speaking, Tali's manipulating the crane controls, and the opening is revealed as he finishes.

"Fine, but don't expect me to.." Kaiden trails off as a man approaches us. "Fai Dan."

The man in question looks pained, brow creased and his hands shaking. "Shepard," He wheezes. "Everyone is being affected by that... Thing down there. I'm trying to resist, but it... Hurts, so bad." My hand drifts to my pistol as he continues. "It wants me to stop you. But I won't." Everyone else seems locked in place, and my gun goes up the same time his own does, and I don't hesitate.

The slide locks back as my final round cuts through the air faster than he can pull the trigger, the shot cutting through his wrist and sending him tumbling to the ground in agony, alive.

"Shit, you nearly blew his hand off!" Ashley barks at me, and I largely ignore her, racking the slide back into place and holstering my pistol.

"Better than his head," Shepard says, putting the groaning man out. "Kaiden, get him cleaned up inside the prefab."

"What's wrong with the Normandy?" He asks.

"Joker said earlier that those things are pounding on the won't do any damage, but we don't want them over here. Everyone else, with me. Williams, take point."

"Kaiden." I call to the sulking man. "I'm gonna need your rifle man." He hands it to me.

"Take my teeth while you're at it," He half-jokes. "Shoot my puppy too."

* * *

The team is silent as we descend, weapons drawn. The silence is eerie, made more so considering the horde we had to go through to get this far. The air is damp, reeking of.. Rot, decay. The temperature continues to drop as we hit even ground, and as we step out into the open, words become useless.

The Thorian. Disgusting on screen. Here? A plant made of flesh, pulsing, gleaming in the dark. The more our flashlights reveal, the less I want to see. Ashley is the first to voice all of our thoughts.

"THAT thing, is not a plant." at her words, it shifts, moving it's tube-thing forward and... well, an Asari comes out. But where most are blue or purple, She's the same shade of green as the creeper's drool.

"Leave, now." The clone utters, her voice grating and not her own. "I will not extend this mercy again." Shepard steps forward, speaking directly to the puppet master.

"I need to know what Saren came here for." He says evenly, no trace of fear evident. "Tell me that and I'll go."

"Saren.. He wanted my knowledge of the Protheans." The clone says, expression darkening to match the Thorian's emotions. "It was agreed I would be left alone in exchange for it. Immediately afterwards, he attempted to silence me."

"Please, I want to bring Saren down." Shepard pleads. "I need to know what you told him."

"Enough! I will not listen to the words of meat bags again. You will all die in this place."

"Meat bags? Kinda rude." I comment idly. The Asari charging up an attack seems to turn it's attention to me at my words, but Shepard has the sense to boot her off the ledge as unearthly screams start from all around us. "Why is it never easy?" I mutter as the first creeper comes running at us from behind.

"Open fire!"

* * *

It seems like a scene from a child's nightmare. Growling, gunfire, gasps of pain, and the fear that the monsters are coming.

"Keep focusing fire on those," Shepard advises, popening up on yet another node attached to the wall.

"Kinda hard to!" Wrex replies, blasting away at the monsters pouring in from both sides. Where I expected dozens, there are _hundreds _of creepers, with no end in sight. So much for the script. The six of us are struggling for the first time in our crusade, and something important sets in for the millionth time: It's not a game. It's my reality. It's so easy to give it my all when none of it seems like I'm actually doing it. Like I'm in no danger. The sudden impact at my waist attests to it. The gunfire is drowned out by the sounds of growling as the creature atop of me slashes at my torso. Not finding purchase, it stares straight through my visor a moment, before starting to smash it's skull against my helmet. Over and over again, until it shatters, and the creature stares right into my eyes.

_'I'm dead. This is how it ends, staring into the hollow sockets of a plant monster.'_ I'm unable to move, waiting for a death that never comes. Salvation comes in the form of an armored foot, caving in the creeper's skull and sending it flying it off of me. I look up, expecting to see Wrex and only finding a slimmer figure in pink and white armor.

"You okay?" She asks, looking away to continue fire, only to witness them start to slow down, and then collapse as Shepard finishes destroying the Thorian's final connection to the wall, sending it screeching downward into the darkness.

"... That's one I owe you," I mutter, sitting up and removing what's left of my helmet. "Is it dead?"

"It's dead." Wrex affirms, peering over the edge.

"Then let's get the hell out of here." I mutter.

"Not just yet." Shepard warns, motioning towards the pulsing growth on the wall. It splits open, and another Asari comes out. But this one is violet-skinned, and unconscious.

"She's alive." Shepard checks, before standing back up. " We should get her out of here."

"Are you crazy, Shepard?" Tali says, catching the assembled group off-guard. "She'll try to kill us!"

"Tali, She's not like the other ones." Liara replies. "She could be able to tell us what Saren was looking for."

"And if she does end up being dangerous, we'll put her down,"Shepard states in a tone that leaves no room for argument. "So lets get out of here. This place reeks." He meets no resistance at this order, hoisting the unconscious woman over his shoulder as everyone files out.

* * *

"Ow, dammit." I groan again as Kaiden disinfects the cuts on my face from the shattered visor.

"Be quiet, I'm not the one who looks like they stuck their face in Wrex's mouth."

"That bad?" I ask. "My face is my only meal ticket."

"You'll go back to being a model in no time." He jests, wiping away at one last cut before setting the bottle of disinfectant down." Okay, you're good. Everybody else good now?" He calls around the small clinic of Zhu's Hope, receiving affirmative noises in reply. As Kaiden gets up, he's replaced by another visitor. I groan again as Ashley smirks at my face.

"You look like shit, Weston."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Doubly so for me saving your ass."

"If I knew it would be such a big deal for you, I would've asked you to let the thing gut me." I mutter. She laughs a little at this, and lays my shotgun on my lap.

"I believe this belongs to you." I nod my appreciation, and look over to the previous user, curled up on one of the cots. "Is she alright?" I ask.

"She isn't injured, but I think the whole thing rattled her." Ashley says.

"..Thanks, Ashley."

"Couldn't let that little girl become an orphan." She says, betraying a small glimmer of concern. But it's gone as soon as it comes, and is replaced by a far more sinister expression."Why are you so concerned about Tali?"

"Worried about my teammates, is all."

"You didn't ask about anybody else."

"No, I didn't." I lean back against the wall, groaning again. "What time is it?"

"Time to get back to the Normandy." Shepard replies, walking back from his chat. "Shiala gave me some sort of Cypher, but it isn't clearing anything up as of yet."

"You need help making sense of it?" Liara asks.

"What I need is some sleep," Shepard mutters. "We all do. Let's go." Everyone gets up to walk out, save one diminuative engineer. I walk over to her, gently shaking her shoulder. "Tali."

"Mmmph... The X-3's would improve fuel regulation, Shepard..." She mumbles. I have the strange desire to tip the cot over, but having my own shotgun shoved up my ass isn't high on my list of priorities.

"Come on, you goof." I mutter, picking up the worn-out girl. "Bedtime."

* * *

**A/N:** Don't kill me :I . I'd deserve it, but still. As always, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. Don't be too mean, okay? I know it's crap, but I'm not dead yet. Let me know if I misspelled anything/screwed up any names/events.


	23. Darker Actions

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mass Effect, Toshiba, or Ubisoft.**

* * *

**A/N: **Here again. Remember, be good to those you care about. You may not always have them.

* * *

_Normandy SR-1_

_February 18th, 2183. 3 A.M. _

The world is hardly ever simple. Situations are never black and white. That kid who went crazy, killed his dad? Beaten every day of his life. The man going to church, loving his family? A ruthless drug pusher and trafficker. So when I set a sleeping girl to bed, an exhausted Shepard awaits me with a cup of coffee, asking me more about myself.

"I'm not sure how much I can tell you," I evade, sitting down in the empty mess hall. "I told you the first twelve times."

"Well, start from the start," He persists, pushing the cup towards me.

"Okay," I relent. "But this stays between us, Shepard. Anything I tell you, you take to your grave unless I say otherwise."

"That secret?"

"Just personal. you wanna know how I tick, and why. I'll tell you, but it-" I stop short at the sight of a (Currently) purple menace peeking around the corner. "It's rude to eavesdrop. Shouldn't you be passed out?" There's no accusation in my voice though, and I motion for her to come forward.

" ...Was just coming up for something to drink." She half-says, not really convincing anyone in her tired state. "I was asleep, and having an amusing dream, when I woke up in the arms of a limping suit of armor. So you should only blame yourself."

"Yeah, I'll blame myself for you poking into my business."

"As you should." she plops herself at the table, not getting any actual sort of drink.

"...Fine. But shush." I look back to Shepard, who looks utterly confused. "What?"

"Nothing." He mutters, leaning into his chair and flicking on his Omni-Tool. "Whenever you're ready."

"My name is Cory Weston, born... Under another name, in Detroit, Michigan. I lived a fairly solitary life, and when I was a teenager, I was taken by some human extremist group. They interrogated me."

"About?" Shepard interjects.

"Something that had happened in Tokyo."

"Care to share?"

"It'll only incriminate a friend. Suffice to say, I behaved in a way that caught their interest."

"Okay, go on." It continues this way for a while, explaining in detail the experiments, tests, and the implants.

"The Phoenix Nanite Breeder," I explain. "Is the biggest reason I'm still alive to this day. nestled into my chest cavity, it constantly produces and regulates microscopic insect-like drones that circulate in my bloodstream, repairing damage at a rate comparable to a Krogan, or Vorcha, to a certain degree."

"Keelah," Tali breathes, speaking up for the first time in several minutes.

"The way they function is a mystery to me," I continue. "But I know that they're taking their toll." I look down for a moment. "They're slowly killing me, I found out." The surprise is evident, more so in the person who didn't know that part. "Mutating my DNA structure, causing damage as they go to the point that without them, I would die. They can't be removed, not without putting me into a coma that I wouldn't be able to wake up from."

"God..." Shepard sighs.

"It causes a lot of pain, so much so that most wouldn't be able to function. Another implant, however, regulates my nerves to the point that I can't feel pain like I should. Other things to improve reflex, reaction times, probability calculation, they make me what I am."

"So the way you fight..." Shepard begins.

"I'm not some sort of badass, or anything of the like. But I know exactly what I'm capable of, and am able to move in a way that leaves no room for counter-attack."

"A fine line to walk. One mistake, and it's over."

"Good thing I don't make mistakes in those situations. Haven't yet, in any case."

"You know, it kinda classifies you as a badass. From a technical standpoint." I laugh, continuing the story. As I speak, I relive the entire mess... The escape, Omega, Aroch Ward, months of travel and work, not taking pause. Was I trying to forget? Bury it? Or just run away? Didn't work, in any case.

"It helped at any rate, to go into an auto-state, not really thinking. Gave me time to adjust without completely snapping. It also let my credit account to build up."

"Oh?" Shepard asks, smirking.

"Yeah, didn't spend much. I ended up investing in a nice little music company in April. It went pretty well."

"April," Shepard mutters, before snapping to attention. "New World Industries. Bullshit."

"Afraid not." I chuckle.

"You own New World Industries?"

"For the most part. I'll keep some tickets open for you. Anyone you want to see."

"Well shit, if I had known this, I would've given you my cabin." He jokes.

"I could do you one better. Face-to-face with any of them."

"Any of them? Mathers included?" I laugh full out at this.

"I might be able to, Why? You a fan?" I say, still grinning. Shepard seems a bit defensive.

"His music is impressive. Inspiring even." Tali speaks up. 'Thought she fell asleep'. "Giving people something to relate to. It helps people."

"Yeah, that was the idea when we started this stuff up." I say, uncomfortable. More like I was pressured into it.

"Well then," Shepard starts. "I'll make sure you get a good bonus at the end of this mess."

"Not necessary, but I appreciate the thought." I look over to the yawning Quarian, and she nods slowly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to bed." She gets up slowly, but Shepard stops her.

"Actually, I'd like a word Tali. Sorry." He says. She mumbles a bit, but sits back down.

"I think I'll leave you two to it." I mention as I start to get up and head for the elevator. "I've got something I need to check on anyways." With that, I leave them to their business.

* * *

(Shepard)

"So, what do you need?" Tali asks me, concern showing through.

"Nothing bad," I assure her. "Wondering how you were doing, for one. You seemed a bit shook up earlier."

"It was a shaky experience." She mutters. No denying that. "But I'm alright. You don't need to be concerned."

"I'm the commander of this little group of dysfunctionals," I chuckle. "Concern for your people comes with the job. Plus, I respect everyone on this ship. I'd like to think I'm not too harsh on the commanding part."

"No need to worry about that." She says, before looking up at me. "Uh, sorry." I just laugh.

"It's fine. I'm not the best at giving stuffy orders. But something else I wanted to ask."

"Okay, What?"

"Well, I figured, now that you have your Pilgrimage gift, were you planning on leaving?" I ask apprehensively. She looks as though I just insulted her.

"Of course not!" She says adamantly. "I joined to help with this. After everything everyone has done for me, it's the least I can do."

"Good, good." I say relief evident. "You won't miss the party then."

"Party?" Now it's her turn to be apprehensive.

"Yeah. Your pilgrimage is a coming of age kind of thing, right?" She nods. "Well, it's customary to throw a party in celebration of that."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea.." She mutters. "It seems like a lot of work."

"Nonsense," I assure her. "I've already spoken to a couple of people, and they're excited to do it."

"Well..." She still seems unsure.

"Trust me Tali, it'll be fun."

"Okay, but nothing major." She says uneasily.

"Trust me." I repeat, before continuing. "So, I need to ask you a question."

"Okay, go ahead." 'I have got to stop getting involved in these sorts of things' I think to myself with a smile.

"Cory." I start. She continues to stare quizzically. "Do you like him?"

"Like him?" She repeats. "I'm not sure I understand."

"Well," I say, trying my best to not grin. " You two spend a fair amount of time together, and you seem like you'd be a cute couple." I finish, a smile breaking through on my face.

"W-.. What are you talking about?!" She asks, flustered so bad that I know she's thought about this before.

"Well, judging by that reaction, You know what I'm talking about."

"I assure you, I-I don't." Oh no you don't.

"Well," I start. "I just thought I should mention something, all things considered."

"Things?" She asks uncomfortably, but curiosity laced in. Just as planned.

"Well, it's faint, but you can tell that he's been through a lot in a short amount of time." I say, and Tali nods surprisingly. "He's lost people he cares about, and doesn't want that to happen ever again. So he shuts people out. But, you've wormed past that."

"I have?"

"You have. I think he'd do just about anything for you." She seems surprised at this.

"He says that I remind him of someone he used to know."

"All the more reason he doesn't want to get to the point that losing you would crush him." I explain. "But, were someone to want to get past that mental barrier and be with him, they'd have push past that mental barrier. Theoretically." I finish.

"You've put a lot of thought into this, Shepard." She says in an accusatory manner.

"I deny everything."

* * *

(Tali)

"Madness. Utter madness. I mean, he's kind, and not that bad to look at, from an aesthetic point, but- Dammit! The only reason I'm thinking like this is because of that Bosh'tet."

"Tali?" I freeze, before looking back at the Asari scientist behind me. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine." I mutter.

"You sure? 'Cos you're muttering outside of your room in the middle of the night." Ulp.

"It's... Don't worry about it. I'm just headed to bed."

"Well.. Goodnight." She says uncertainly. I walk into the room only to find Cory shirtless... Dammit Shepard. He catches me staring, probably the worst thing I could do given the circumstance.

"It looks worse than it is." He mentions, gesturing to the acid burns along his right shoulder and side that took me a moment to register.

"Keelah, why didn't you go to Doctor Chakwas?" He waves the statement off.

"I'm fine. I needed sleep more than her fussing." He's busy smearing a greenish gel across the marks as he speaks, and I look at the arm applying it. Strange glyphs adorn his arm, seemingly apart of his skin.

"what are those?" I inquire, gesturing to his arm. It takes hims a moment to understand before he realizes.

"Oh, tattoos." He explains. "Art immerssed into the skin, usually by ink. I take it that it's not popular on the Migrant Fleet?"

"I guess not," I shrug. "I've heard of that sort of thing, but it's not an appealing option for Quarians. Besides the inherent infection risk, our skin has become sensitized from living in our suits for so long. Something like that would cause irritation." He seems to process this for a moment, before nodding.

"Well, it's often used as a means of expression. Mine? The sleeve along my arm is mostly lines coming together to form patterns. The top 313 is just a nod to home."

"Home?"

"Yeah. For me, Detroit will always be my home." He turns toward me, and I see additional marks along his left side. I take a seat on my bed before he continues. "The text along my chest is a prayer for peace for the fallen, and a promise to protect the ones I love." He looks down a moment, but shakes off whatever emotion struck him. "Well, it's more personal than that, but I don't really want to get into it. The one up here," He leans forward a bit, showing part of his shoulder blade, "Is a cross with a crown and snake. That part I'll explain some other time." He finishes applying the sharp-smelling chemical, and relaxes back onto his bed. I suppress my curiosity and do the same, trying to actually stay down this time. The silence is abrupt, but I'm so tired that I welcome it.

* * *

(Cory)

Darkness. Their screams. Over and over again I hear them in pain, pain you caused. How much blood will coat your hands before it ends? Before they end you? Before my memory drives you to your death?

* * *

Quiet. I open my eyes slowly, but there's only the sounds of murmuring and Metallica. Every muscle aches, and try as I might to stretch them, it's no use. I switch off my Omni-Tool. Better start the day.

The trip to the cargo bay feels shorter than usual, and I step out, I feel eyes on me.

"Cory." Garrus greets me, looking at my burns, turned grayish by the gel. "Are you okay? And where's your shirt?"

"You wear a shirt when you plan on working out?" I ask him.

"Well, yeah, actually." He chuckles. "But Turians are a bit bony to look at. You sure you won't get the Chief in a frazzle?" Said Chief rolls her eyes and goes back to her bench.

"I did it for you Garrus." I deadpan.

"Hmm." He looks me over. "Nah, too rugged. Potential mates have to have fewer scars than a Krogan warlord. You look like you've been fed to a Varren pack. Twice."

"The ladies love the scars though, Garrus. You'll see." He chuckles.

"I hope not to see. Getting scarred up isn't in the plan." But it's in the cards, my boy.

"Well, I wish you luck in that." I say walking over to my set of crates, glancing at the gear strewn about. Hmm.

* * *

"Working out, huh?" I look up at the grinning Turian, and rub the back of my head.

"It was the original plan." I mutter. "I got caught up." I gesture to the holo-display.

"Another shotgun?" He inquires.

"Reworking a design," I say, moving parts around on the display. "More power, sacrificing a shot. When I'm done, it'll will carve through a Geth unit like a hatchet through flesh."

"Nice description."

"Accurate. Anyways, I'm adding a manual sink-cycling system; it wont be semi-automatic, but it'll be stable enough to fire in any situation."

"Why aren't you designing guns somewhere on the Citadel?" Garrus asks as I move the complex array of parts around into a working order.

"Because most of the 'Making the design function' bit is thanks to someone else. Good guy, likes long walks over the corpses of his foes." Garrus looks lost on this statement. "Nevermind that part." I mention, and he nods.

"Good plan. Now put a damn shirt on."

"You know you love it."

* * *

It's over an hour later that I finish the redesign, torn under-armor on to appease Garrus. Two more hours, and everything is put in place in the actual shotgun. Shepard comes out of engineering to find me pointing a shotgun at him. "Oh hey Shep." I greet him, lowering it. "Just tinkering here."

"I see," He says, not really seeing. "Improvements?" I nod.

"Just gotta finish the engraving, but that can wait."

"Engraving?"

"Yessir. Gotta get it looking just right."

"Any particular reason?" He says, eyebrow raised.

"You'll see." I answer vaguely. As the light sound of rubberized footsteps pick up, I wave my hand over the design, and it shifts to the disassembly of a P90. Shepard looks confused before picking up on the sound himself.

"Tali. You ready?" He asks her, and she nods.

"Ready for what?" I inquire.

"Garrus asked me to look into this Salarian doctor that evaded custody a while back. Real sick bastard. We've found his ship, but it looks dead in the water. Us three are the boarding party." I nod.

"Need another?"

"There wont be room for a huge suit of armor." I point to it.

"Not like I can wear it, in the condition it's in. I'll use my quiet gear." He shrugs.

"Up to you." I nod, and he turns to Tali. "Looks like you get to watch the monitors like you wanted." And I glance at her.

"You **wanted **to watch monitors?" I ask, and she twitches uncomfortably, but Shepard swoops in.

"Actually, she got the idea of having someone monitoring our vitals and watching our technique. It's an interesting learning tool." I consider this.

"That's not a bad idea, actually." I admit. "So you'll see what we do through the suit cams?" She nods.

"Seeing it through everyone's eyes will give me a better grasp on what I should behave like in the field."

I guess so. "Well, let's bring Liara along then." They look at me. "You'll see the reaction of someone less experienced, and the difference will be telling." Shepard frowns at this.

"Isn't that using her?"

"Well, Biotic support would be handy," I reason. "And she needs all the experience she can get."

"I'll let her know." Shepard agrees after a moment of consideration. "Ready up."

* * *

(Tali)

"Docking complete. Commander, whenever you're ready." Moraeu says, his usual demeanor quieted in the face of a serious team. Shepard nods a moment, and the team moves as one through the airlock. In a moment, they clear the other door, and enter the ship.

_"Docking area clear. Moving." _Shepard says via comms. As they approach the door to the main cargo area, I look over the vitals, and Cory has a point. Where Liara's heartbeat is picking up with every step towards the unknown, Shepard is rock steady. Garrus' is up, but that was anger and vengeance brewing inside of him. And Cory... Barely anything. His heartbeat is almost at resting. Eerie. _"Breach."_

They move in like a wave, but recoil a bit and some unknown source. _"Extreme odor coming from the area. Rot, and waste."_ He moves to continue, but is stopped within a few steps by a noise. They watch as a shuffling sound comes around the corner, and the sight of what comes around is enough to paralyze me with horror.

_"What in the hell.." _A human male, Three eyes where there should be two. Disgusting lumps and disfigurements barely covered by a patient gown. His skin nearly translucent and stretching over him, barely fitting. I turn away from the sight, instead looking at the vital monitors. Shock is evident across the team, Liara in a near panic state, Shepard's heartrate spiking upward along with Garrus', and Cory-

A flutter. A moment of surprise, buried under that controlled calm._ "Please..." _My attention snaps back to the monitor as the man starts to speak. Out of everyone, Cory once again acts out of place, putting a hand on his pistol where everyone else lowered their weapons. _"PLEASE!" _The.. He, rushes them, and everyone else is frozen as a pistol comes up on camera 4, The resulting round entering the man's head in a neat hole and leaving in an ugly spray of blood and bits of skull. It's holstered as soon as it came out, replaced by a P90 as another nightmare rounds the corner, an Asari, turned into a sick experiment. Garrus and Shepard raise their rifles unsteadily as several more people come out from behind the crates.

_"Please.." _The chant starts, and the simple click of Cory's P90 from safety to auto is enough to send the mob screaming at them. A simple "Fire." From Cory forces the other two into action to save themselves from the mob. It only takes a moment of fire, and there's only a mass of still twitching bodies at their feet. He goes from one to the other, leveling his weapon at their heads, and pulling the trigger. A swapping of magazines, and he's looking towards the closed doors on one side. A retching sound comes from behind, and he turns to see Liara shaking from her place by the wall.

"Why... Why would they come at us like that?" She stutters, on the verge of collapse.

"There are fates far worse than death." Shepard mutters, moving to keep her from falling. "Garrus, Echo... Do what you have to."

"Leaving it to us then?" The question goes unanswered, and Shepard makes his way back to the Normandy, Liara in tow. He greets me in person a minute later when the airlock cycles.

* * *

"Tali"

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Hard to say." He grunts. "I'm taking Liara to the Med-Bay. I hate to ask it, but can you go in there? I want somebody there to make sure nothing creeps up on those two. It's awful to ask, but.."

"I got it Shepard." I say confidently, Or as confidently as I can while trying not to beg him no. He nods, and I head into the airlock as he heads down the hall.

* * *

As it opens, I have to kill my sensors to not be overwhelmed at the smell. 'Death, it reeks of death.' I hear raised voices coming from the front of the ship, and hustle towards them. I only stop when I see... The Massacre. The bodies strewn about on the deck, in person, makes me want to vomit. The blood, the disfigured bodies.. I'm not sure how long I stare before coming to my senses and moving. The door the the medical area is open and I stop in the doorway, frozen as Cory Forces Dr. Hart to his knees.

He looks into the man's eyes as he draws and readies his pistol in one fluid motion, pausing only a moment to look at his own reflection, mirrored in the eyes of the man he's about to execute.

He pulls the trigger. A flash, and the Salarian crumples to the ground.

* * *

**Post-Note**: I don't have any excuses for you guys and gals. Maybe I'm just not properly motivated like I used to be. In any case, thanks for reading.


	24. Stability

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mass Effect, BioWare, or any of it's subsidiaries. I also do not own the rights to any artists or their music. This story is not for profit of any kind.**

* * *

**A/N: **We hit more than a few milestones with the last chapter guys! 150+ followers, well over 25,000 views, over 50,000 words written, almost 100 favorites. I'm glad you guys enjoy.

* * *

_SR-1 Normandy_

_February 18th, 2183. 2 P.M._

(Cory)

"Everyone." Shepard stands firm.

"I'm fine, Shepard."

"Everyone. Talks to Chakwas. We just witnessed some pretty gruesome shit. No exceptions." I sigh a bit at this. I don't have the patience to have my brains picked at. "Just do it, okay? Everyone's gonna meet in the mess."

"What about you?"

"Already did it."

"... Fine. But I'm not talking about my deep-seated psychological problems. If they exist, that is."

"We'll save that for next week."

* * *

(Tali)

I watch as Liara slowly walks out of the med bay, shaking a little as Doctor Chakwas rubs her back. "Just get some rest." She tells the shaken girl. Liara nods, and makes her way to the elevator. "Cory, if you'd come in." She motions to him, and he stands, heading in. The table is subdued, but picks up a bit as Kaiden takes a seat, frowning. "So, he just gunned them down?" He asks the table at large. It's quiet, but I nod a bit.

"The doctor too." It makes my gut churn a bit as I think about it. "Anger is one thing, but Hart... That was just an execution." Garrus shakes his head at this, speaking up for the first time in an hour.

"No."

"It wasn't an execution?"

"It was justice." He says. "That ship? That was only a part of the horror. Of the madness." He sighs, and the emotion drops from him a bit. "I wanted to kill him."

* * *

(Garrus, Hours earlier)

"Saleon!" I growl, storming the room with Cory. The madman looks up at me impassively.

"Officer. Have you come to arrest me?"

"Not quite." Cory says, moving halfway across the room before The man can even react, his gun taken away from him before he can draw it. "Sorry. No chances."

"Hmph." He grunts. I glare at the man a moment before speaking.

"So, no denials? No, pleading your case?"

"And the point of that would be?" He asks me. " I recognize you, but this human.." He looks Cory over. "Not the one you were partnered with before. But I heard he died, huh?" He says, taunting me. "Whatever it is you came here to do, do it." Cory merely looks at me. I can feel the rage, the evil of what this man has done, and I draw my pistol.

But there it stops. I can't bring myself to raise it to the man's head. "I... I can't." He nods, and Saleon speaks up.

"Fine. Bring me in, Officer. You know what'll happen." And I do. They'll find out everything he's done, learn from him. Cory locks eyes with me, and sees the turmoil inside of me.

"Not like I can let you walk away Doc." He addresses Saleon.

"Oh? And what did I ever do to you?" He asks the man forcing him to his knees.

"Not a single thing." The Doctor starts a bit at this. "In face, your name meant absolutely nothing to me before today, and will lose meaning before I fall asleep tonight." Saleon chuckles a bit at this, face dropping to neutral as he's forced to his knees and the pistol is leveled to his head. A moment in that pose, and Cory does what I couldn't.

A small feeling of... something I can't describe courses through me, and I'm about to speak when I notice Cory looking at the doorway. And standing there is Tali, looking right back at him. It only lasts a moment, before he speaks. "Lets get out of here."

* * *

"Tali, I saw how you looked at him, how you avoided being near him." Garrus tells me. "Like he's a monster, like you fear him."

"I just... Don't know if I can trust him." I fidget as I digest what he related. "He seems like another person, sometimes."

"I trust him." Garrus says. "He did what I couldn't, and I practically begged him to. He's not a bad person, Tali." I don't reply as- Chakwas comes out of the med bay, without Cory.

"Everything's fine." She assures us when she looks at the table. She walks away without explaining further.

"Well, that's ominous." Garrus mutters. I think a moment, and decide to see for myself.

* * *

(Cory)

"You spoke to Shepard before, about your past." Doctor Chakwas speaks as I finish sitting down.

"That I did."

"You care to share some of it?" She asks.

"Not particularly. If you want to know, you can ask him. It's not easy to talk about."

"You talked about it easily enough then."

"Doctor."

"Chakwas is fine."

"Well," I start, "Let's cut to the chase. You want to know if I'm combat ready."

"No." She responds.

"No?"

"I know you're fine for combat. Everything you've been through, I'm don't think what you saw, or did, particularly traumatized you. But that's the problem." My brow furrows a bit.

"Why?"

"Because you're cold." She says bluntly. "You look at things, see the good and bad, but none of it affects you. I've seen you around the ship." She says, stopping me from arguing it. "You laugh, you joke. But so much of it is a shroud. A deception." I sigh, laying back on the bed. "It's a good performance, but I'm a doctor. I know how to pick out emotions."

"So, what are you saying?" I grumble.

"I'm saying that you're miserable. Which affects you."

"You already said that you know-"

"I mean on a personal level. You don't particularly care for your own life."

"... No, not particularly."

"Then all of this, for what? To get yourself killed?" I take a moment to consider my words.

"No. But when you're given a chance to affect the world, to change it for the better, maybe save some lives, you do it. Because you can. Because your particular line of work will assist it. Because you're good at it. I will go until my body gives out, which doesn't happen often."

"You act like you're immortal."

"No. But I know exactly what I'm capable of. I act without hesitation. It seems insane, foolish. But if you move when people aren't expecting it? Before they consider how to act? You decide who wins."

"You need to be in control."

"Of that situation, sure. The other stuff? I'm comfortable following."

"Hmm." She looks at her data-pad a moment before continuing.

"And what about them?" She points to my chest. Or, my dog tags.

"What about them?" I ask.

"How much of an effect do they have?"

"A lot." I mutter. "Everything I do, is for them."

"And why is that?"

"I owe them that much. I've lost a lot of people who've been close to me."

"You act as though their blood is on your hands."

"Some of it is." I look at the worn bit of metal hanging around my neck. Two, from a long time ago. A third, reading like a data-pad, with more names on it. "Some, I couldn't protect. I tried, God I tried, but to no avail."

"It doesn't mean that their deaths are your fault." She says. I've heard it so many times before.

"You don't know the whole story."

"You won't tell it."

"No, I won't." She looks at me a moment.

"You need to let it go. How long have you been holding onto it? Onto her?" I look up a bit.

"How much did Shepard say?"

"Not a lot. Nothing more than what was required."

"... Six years."

"A long time, to mourn a loved one so much."

"It was more than that." I say, a bit sharp. "It... She was my biggest source of happiness, in a very dark world. I loved her, more than life itself yes, but I needed her. To stay sane."

"So, your biggest source of happiness, or your only?" She asks, and I jump up a bit. "You said that you needed her." I sit up a moment, but sigh, and lay back down.

"I don't know. I've had relationships since then. None of them went anywhere. They wanted something I couldn't give them. Something that hurts to think about."

"You have to let her go, just a bit, if you want to be happy again." She says. "You have to let go of that guilt, or it will consume you."

"It's already consumed me."

"No it hasn't. If it had, your few genuine smiles wouldn't be. You have to forgive yourself, or you won't find happiness."

"... I know." She types a bit more, and stands.

"I have to give my report to Shepard. Naturally, I'll leave out the personal details."

"You do that Doc." I say, covering my face with my arm. I listen as she leaves, only to hear the door open again a moment later. "Forget something?" I ask, Looking up to see Tali instead. "Hey."

"Hey." She responds. She looks.. Uncomfortable, the way she stands. "Umm.."

"Need something?" I ask, covering my eyes again.

"No," she says uneasily. I hear her approach, and sit down on the adjacent bed. "Just... Are you okay?" She asks.

"I don't know." I sigh a bit. "But I will be."

"Did the talk go okay?"

"More or less. Chakwas addressed a couple of things that I should've looked at a long time ago. Are you okay?" I ask her, putting my arm under my head.

"I'm.. I'm okay." She says, seemingly bothered by the simple question." It's just..." She trails off once again, looking down and playing with her hands.

"Speak your mind." I tell her calmly.

"Well, you just... You seem to be two different people sometimes. You're on the ship, and you're friendly, calm, and generally good to be around."

"Aww, thanks." She rolls her eyes a bit before continuing.

"But then, out there, in the thick of things. You seem... Like ice. Dangerous, but calm. Too calm. Like you're just... Operating a body. Cold. It's... confusing."

"You're scared of me." I say.

"No.. Not really. But it concerns me. Why would you behave in such a way? So in control, but not even there?" I consider this.

"Part of it's training," I start. "Part of it is necessary, part of it's just who I am. A lot of my emotions are buried, Tali. Better that way." She looks at my chest.

"The tags then?" She asks. "Is that a part of who you are?"

"Why so interested?" I ask.

"I don't like not being unable to understand things." She frowns. I think. "People, machines, it all comes down to the same stripping away the exterior to see the what's there. Be it a problem or not. But you're hard to understand. Even for me."

"I hold on to a lot of guilt." I say, glancing at the tags. "Some of it, maybe I shouldn't. But I do. Reminds me who I am, what I fight for."

"So what do you fight for?"

"That's... Not an easy question." I mutter. "The people I care about, I suppose. My friends, my daughter."

"So, you do have a kid then?" She asks. "I had heard, but... So you have someone you love, to have a child with them?"

"Not exactly." I explain. "An Asari I... Spent time with," God that sounds awkward. "Wanted a child, and used my genetic make-up to have one. I wasn't even aware of this until she was already born."

"So, she... Raped you?" I cough a bit, chuckling.

No, no. Uhh..." I clear my throat a bit. "She explained it to me, but I wanted to stay in her life. Do better for her than my parents did for me, you know?" Tali nods seriously. "Anyways, I'm here because I need to be. Because I can do some good."

"I understand, part of it at least." She says. "I could never walk away from this. There's so much at stake."

"That's true." It's silent for a period before she asks another question.

"So.. You've had a lot of relationships then, for one to give you a child?"

"Hmm. No, actually. That time was.. Rather unique. I could likely count my relationships on my hands over the past few years. None of them went very far, either. A date or two, and it drifted apart. I was rather cold about it, didn't even spend any time at each others homes." I chuckle a bit at my own words.

"Oh. Well, maybe you should just find a way to warm up, huh?" My face is blank a moment before I speak.

"Are you propositioning me, Miss Zorah?". . .

Her face becomes a mask of shock and horror at her own words. "Oh, oh KEELAH that came out SOO wrong!" She says, covering her face with her hand. I laugh a bit at her expense, sitting up and facing her, pulling her hand away from her face.

"I understand what you meant, never worry." I assure her. "Thank you though, I needed to laugh." I let her hand go as she looks down.

"Glad I could help." She mumbles grumpily. I stand, putting my hand on her shoulder a moment before walking out as Doctor Chakwas comes in.

"Tali, good you're taking care of my patient." She says. "Now, I'd like to speak with you for a bit..."

* * *

(Tali)

The next few days pass by in peace. Without knowing where to move next, we refuel at an outer Alliance colony, and wander a bit through space. I continue my training, lamenting the lack of a usable shotgun all the while. No word of a replacement so far, I can only hope Cory let's me use his on missions.

I come up to the cargo bay, intent on another day of training, and work in engineering, only to stop dead when the doors open. In the cargo bay, tables are laid out with food, drinks, and colorful boxes. "Happy pilgrimage!" Hangs from the wall on a large banner.

"Tali!" someone in the group shouts, and I'm suddenly assaulted by numerous hands, pulling me out of the elevator and placing in the middle of the table, all speaking at once, the ground team and engineering, sitting down all around.

"Tali, open this one first!" Somebody calls, pushing one of the boxes in front of me. Finally, It quiets down a bit, enough for me to speak.

"W-what is all of this?" I stutter, cursing myself for it.

"Your pilgrimage party." Shepard answers, clear now that I know where everyone is. "I told you we were gonna have one for you."

"Yeah," I start. "But I didn't think it would be anything like this.."

"Well, we wanted it to be rather low-key, but you know." He shrugs a bit. I nod unsteadily, looking around the table.

"A lot of food," I say to have something to say. Garrus looks up a bit, and nods, snapping his fingers.

"That's your first gift." He says.

"Gift?" I ask. He nods, producing a few tubes.

"Tali, your survival food is... terrifying." He chuckles. "So, we, Kaiden and I," he points to the man in question. "Had a large crate of Turian food sterilized and tubed, for your eating pleasure." He hands me one of them, motioning for me to try it. I attach it with practiced ease, and take a bit in.

"Mmm. It's good, thank you, you guys." I say, detaching the tube. "But what's the rest of this?"

"Your other gifts, you goof." Ashley says behind me, bumping me on the shoulder as she picks a large box from the table and puts it in front of me. "Here. This one is from me and Wrex." I pull the wrapping paper apart, looking at a metal crate stamped with the Kassa Fabrications logo. I unlatch it shakily, looking at the red and matte black armor.

"This... is.. C-c-"

"Collossus armor," Wrex rumbles. "Some of the best armor in production. Had to custom order this set; it's not normally in stock at any vendor."

"I.. Thank you.." I mumble. "This.. this is so..." But I'm drowned out by Garrus.

"What?!" He exclaims. "I bought some damn food, you guys went and got top-of-the-line armor?"

"Yeah," Ashley responds. "So?"

"So, I look like a cheap-ass now!"

"Well, soooorrryyy if we wanted to get her something valuable..."

* * *

(Cory)

Garrus and Ashley go back and forth arguing about prices, distracting the group from the real subject of the party. Elevator already gone, and the other tables blocking engineering, Tali almost flees to the Mako, elevated by the lift so the chassis can be worked on. A small hop here and there, and she climbs up the lift ladder and atop the APC, out of sight. A moment's hesitation, and I grab something from her locker and climb up after her.

I reach the top after a bit of tricky climbing, gently walking across the roof and sitting down next to her, causing her to jump a bit when she sees me. "Hey." She says, looking down at the ground below.

"Are you alright?" I ask. She doesn't answer. "Tali, you can talk to me." She sighs a bit.

"It's just... I've never been apart of something like that."

"What?" I ask. "A party?" she shifts a bit.

"I've never been the center of attention like that."

"You never celebrated your birthday or anything?"

"Well, usually just with family." She says quietly. "Father, Auntie Raan... But a big group like that, it feels so... weird. Like I'm gonna puke."

_'Anxiety. Sound familiar?"_ I banish the thought quickly. "Tali, we did this because you're an important part of the team. We care about you."

"It just... It feels off. On the Flotilla, we would never organize an event like this for a single person. So much food, the expensive gifts... Even the Admirals have a peaceful celebration with just a few people.."

"Well, you're aboard a Human vessel, with people from all over the Galaxy." I declare. "And Humans are good at focusing on a single person." I chuckle. "Besides, with everything that's been going on, people need to relax a bit. Things have been pretty tense." She nods at this, pulling her legs up to sit criss-cross, facing me.

"So, things like this are fairly normal?" She asks, and I nod.

"Fairly. A families, even a big, dysfunctional one like ours," I gesture towards our shipmates. "Take care of their own. Plus, you're fairly well-liked aboard the Normandy."

"I am?" She seems... Mistrusting, as though she could never be important.

"Are you kidding me?" I exclaim quietly. "You're the toast of Engineering. You're a technical wizard in and out of combat, and you rival Krogan warlords with your shotgun prowess. Which, reminds me." I say, sliding backwards to the turret, motioning for her to do the same. I lean against it, and draw something out from behind it. "These are for you."

I hold two simply wrapped packages. One large, one small. I give her the small one first, and watch as she peels away the plain paper. inside, a silver, flat-chain necklace with a small medallion, an Ouroboros with wings above it, encircling a multi-triangle design, with an purple gem embedded in the center. Tali runs her thumb over it slowly.

"It's beautiful." She murmurs." What material is this?"

"It's a platinum alloy, all the perks of platinum without the possibility of wear or toxins. The gem is Amethyst." I tell her.

"Pricy." She says.

"Well," I explain. "Not so much. I've owned this for a time now, but I don't wear it that much. So, I when Liara and I looked around on Elysium for a gift for you, I had an Amethyst put in the center, and the necklace itself cleaned up a bit." I explain. "Here, hand me that." She puts it in my hand and I undo the chain, moving to put in on her. She flinches a bit, but waits as I fasten it, flinching a bit again as my hand brushes against her neck. I finish, leaning back. "There." She looks down at it, before looking up at me, a bit shaky.

"Uhh... Um, What does this mean?" She asks me, And I raise an eyebrow.

"What, the design?" I ask.

"N-no," She stammers. "The necklace."

I'm completely confused at this point. "Well, in Human culture, A necklace is often given as a gift, symbolizing friendship, trust, and the like." I say, and she visibly relaxes. "Why?"

"Nothing, just... Nothing." She says, and I dismiss it after a moment's filing it away mentally.

"And this," I say, pulling the larger package over and placing it on her lap. "Is the important one." She feels it a bit, lighting up when she recognizes the general shape, nearly tearing the paper off. "An M-22 Eviscerator, heavily modified." She runs her finger along the lines on the plating, and the inscription above the trigger. "Your shotgun."

"Yes, but the way you handled it, It couldn't belong to anyone else but you after. As for the added engraving... Tali, the shotgun you normally use... It was your mother's, wasn't it?" She twitches at this.

"How did you know?" She asks.

"I could tell." I say simply. "The design was similar to your suit, but there were differences... I made an educated guess." She nods slowly. "I repaired it, but I figured this one could be my gift to you. A weapon, with meaning, revitalized. And this design is a match for you, like an extension of your arm. So it's truly yours."

"I.. I don't know what to say... Thank you, Cory." I smile a bit.

"That's all you had to say." She smiles a bit, but looks back at the party again and sighs. I take a chance, gently putting an arm around her shoulders. "Hey I wouldn't have done this, none of us would've, if we didn't care about you." She doesn't speak, but leans a bit, putting her head on my shoulder as we relax. Maybe I'm not at the point I should be. But this is good. This is a start.

* * *

To: Commander Matthias Shepard

From: Chief Medical Officer Karin Chakwas

Subject: Cory Weston, Physical and psychological condition.

Addendum: _"Commander. This is the now complete form, with mental health report as required."_

Gender: Male

Age: 21

Ethnicity: Caucasian, genetics show Russian and German typing. Curious, considering that genetic mixing over the past 200 years should've prevented such high percentages. (Note:_"Why is it still necessary to display these? I would've thought that by this point it would be redundant."_)

Height: 5'11" (_"Insists he's 6'1"_) 180 cm

Weight: 200 lbs, 90.71 Kg (_"Bone and muscle density unusually high, looks lighter than his actual weight._)

In excellent physical condition, Liver is mostly clean, lungs are clean, heart's in good condition. No known physical shortcomings. (_"The implants in his body regulate all functions, mending any physical damage far faster than natural. Neurological damage is debatable: His brain looks to be in fine condition but certain behaviors suggest chemical imbalance. Unknown whether the implants regulate this. Implants are also causing DNA instability, causing damage to his body unaffected by the implants. Unknown whether this is intentional or a design flaw._)

Mental status: Weston is calm, controlled, and 100 percent within combat situations. Very low chance of combat panic. Outside of combat, however, he experiences severe guilt and stress over people he has lost. He blames himself for a lot of it, or for surviving where they didn't. He holds little regard for his own well-being, and doesn't feel the need to share his problems or speak of them. More guilt attached to that. He interacts with the crew well, but much of it is a facade, masking his emotions. (_It won't affect the mission Commander, but see if you can get him to open up more. His emotions have been a bit more genuine around Tali'Zorah, and I'm hoping that she can help his well-being."_)

He is dedicated to the mission, and will do his best to help. Combat ready.

_Chakwas_

* * *

**A/N:** Less than a month between chapters. Yay! Hopefully, I can get back to the pace I was at when I knew exactly what I was going to write. For now, read and enjoy. And as always, I'm open to feedback, reviews, or PMs. Just be courteous. No need for impoliteness.


	25. Virmire:Forgotten Promises

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mass Effect, Bioware, BioSarge, TomAnex, Majestic Sapling, or GoldenBlackHawk.**

* * *

Gunfire. A sound I've become comfortable with, is the first to bring me to focus. A face in front of mine becomes visible. Faceplate. Quarian? Quarian, green. Yelling, pulling me backwards. I look down briefly. Me too? No, Human. Rifle in hand. Upwards, more gunfire and a familiar sight. Geth. No more command is needed.

Moving, shooting. Backwards, a retreat. But we got what we came for. What did we come for though? Hazy. Data, of some kind. Technology.

The gunfire slacks off a moment, and a ship lands. More Quarians step out, and I see a purple visor. I push to the front, but the suit is wrong. Black, and I see the visor is more muted and gray. More words, confusion, and pain. The pain forces me to the ground, facing upward.

The same green visor, leveling a shotgun at me. The sound of a charge, and an orange blast.

* * *

My eyes snap open, focusing on the wall. Cargo bay. I close my eyes again, breathing deeply. What in the hell was that dream? Already it's fading, but... It wasn't the usual breed of nightmare. It felt... Real.

I'm shaken from my considerations by the shifting girl next to me. At some point she moved to lay down, curling up next to me. I slowly slide away, stretching my legs a bit. I look at the shotgun lying next to her, and remember to unfasten the bracer on my left arm, setting it down next to her.

I maneuver down the APC, sliding down the lift and hitting the deck with barely a whisper. Garrus and Kaiden are the only people in attendance, and look up at me as I approach.

"Cory," Garrus says, smirking. "Glad you could come down."

"Yeah," I say, rubbing the back of my neck. "What time is it?"

"Seven." Kaiden says. "You two were up there for a while.." He drifts off a moment before they both start chuckling. I tense up a bit, but shake my head.

"Just fell asleep, you pervs." Kaiden calms a little before speaking.

"Nah, it's alright." He says, smiling. "You two are just adorable together."

"You're an idiot."

"And he's right." Garrus interjects. "But, most everybody thought you two went to Engineering, and Engineering thought you went to the upper deck. We'll keep quiet about it.. For now." He adds sinisterly.

"Gee, thanks." I mutter, getting into the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Kaiden asks.

"Bed."

"Why aren't you going to bed together?"

"KAIDEN I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL-" And then I'm shouting at a wall. Getting angry only confirms their suspicions. But that brings up something else. Are they right? Are we a couple now? I mean, I'm not narcissistic enough to think I'm all that, but... We find peace with each other. She makes me smile. And I've done more for her than others would. Or have I? I had the benefit of not hating Quarians for three hundred years.

The elevator shudders to a halt, opening up to the lower deck. I step out, muttering to myself. "Not like it would be such a big jump. And she's attractive, from what I've seen. Not like that suit leaves much to the imagination... Or does it?" I shake my head. "NOT a thought I should fall asleep on." I open up my room, flopping down on the bed. I'm thinking too far into this. I'll just see what tomorrow brings me.

* * *

(Tali)

But what do I do? We fell asleep sitting there, and I was comfortable. Safe. But now... I woke up alone, twice. I don't know what to think of the whole thing. It was nice, but... How could we even have a relationship?"Tali." I can't leave this suit often, and to try would risk my life. Plus, is he even interested?"Tali." I mean, he said the necklace was a friendship thing, but it's different in my eyes... Plus, it was his own, it wasn't that big a deal to him. And the blade he left... What was that? "TALI."

I jump, shaken out of my thoughts. "Are you alright?" Cory asks me as we stand in front of our stations.

"Um.. Yeah, yeah I'm okay." I say quickly. Too quickly, as Cory catches onto my turmoil. Or a part of it.

"Tali, you can talk to me." He says, and I'm compelled to despite the state of my mind.

"Well, I was just wondering... About last night." God Why do I sound so nervous?

He takes some time to consider the statement. He looks me up and down, reading my body language before I can conceal it. Emotions flick across his eyes, too fast and too varied to follow. But as soon as I see something, it vanishes behind that mask.

"Tali," He starts. "I haven't known you long, but you're one of the better people I know. We were happy and cozy, and fell asleep. It happens with friends. So relax, okay?" He finishes, and I relax a bit. Yes. I put too much thought into a simple occurrence. 'Talk about a lack of experience.' I chastise myself, and return to my work.

* * *

(Cory)

Uncomfortable. She looked at me, and felt uncomfortable with the idea. Not that I really thought it would be anything else. I'm hardly an attractive guy, I'm cold, uncaring at times, and I have more blood on my hands than anyone but Wrex on this ship. I'm a psycho at best.

My self-deprecating thoughts bug me over the next couple of days, always on the back of my mind. I haven't spoken to Tali much since then, and only in small talk. We roam a bit in space, taking care of the odd distress call that people only want Shepard to handle. I train, talk to my crew members, and generally distract myself from my thoughts. But today's work. Not so much.

"Better, Tali. But not good enough."

"I'm trying." She replies grumpily.

"Part of it's the blade itself." I reason. We're training with blades today, and Tali isn't quite meeting the high standards Garrus and I set."Here." I slide a sheathed blade from under my jacket.

"You and that jacket." I chuckle. "Do I even want to know how many knives you have stored in there?" I look down at it, mentally counting.

"Four large ones, about half a dozen small-bladed ones, balanced for throwing."

"How often does that come in handy?" She asks as I place the blade in her hand.

"You'd be surprised. Okay," I start. "Where did you get your blade?" I ask her, looking over the four-inch flip blade.

"It was a gift for my pilgrimage," Tali says rather sheepishly. "From my aunt."

"I guess she doesn't know her blades too well." I mutter, earning a frown from Tali. "Here." I unsheathe the blade I handed her. "This is a M-Tec Huntsman Knife, fixed five-point-five-inch tanto blade, single-edged with saw teeth on the other side." She wields the blade, already finding better balance in it. "Now, let's start again."

* * *

it's an hour later when I call it, wiping blood away from a couple of nicks on my face. "Much better, Tali."

"High praise from a boogeyman." She jests, pointing at my outfit. I shake my head a bit.

"Most people fear the original outfit, But it was too flashy, too noticeable." I explain, looking down at my clothing. "This jacket used to be an entire overcoat, with something covering my pants as well. But I grew out of that." I say with a smile.

"So, this one is lower profile." Tali reasons out.

"Yup. Entirely ballistic cloth, with a hardened chest piece under it," I tap my chest a bit." And simple, durable armor down my entire body. Style and protection." I finish.

"Too much flourish, but good presentation." Tali chuckles as the elevator doors open. "Shepard." She greets him. "What's up?" He looks at her funnily.

"What's up?" He asks, and she tenses a bit.

"Well, I was.. Just emulating certain speech patterns. It's normal when-"

"It's okay, Tali." He cuts her off, smiling. "I just never heard you say something like that. Anyways," He addresses the Cargo Bay at large now. "We have a lead. A Salarian recon team sent a high priority message to the Citadel, but it was incomplete. Whatever they found it's big, so we're heading to Virmire now to investigate. ETA, three hours." '_What?_'

"Virmire, Shepard?" I ask, uneasy.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"...Nothing." Death. Ground breaking revelations. All too soon.

"Well, clean yourself up then." He smirks, pointing at my cut cheek. "Back to training."

"Yeah." I mutter, closing my eyes a moment. '_Not good. What about Noveria? What should I say? Should I say anything? It seems cold, but saying anything may only make it worse_.'

As my mind rages, Tali speaks up. "Cory?"

"Yeah."

"You okay?"

".. I gotta talk to Shepard."

* * *

It doesn't take long to reach his room, though it feels like I walk miles. I knock, entering when I hear a "Come in."

"Cory," Shepard says, turning from his desk. "What can I do for you?" I lean against the wall, taking a small breath.

"Shepard, hypothetically, if you know something, or at least think you know something, about how things are gonna go, you change it for the better right? But changing it, you change other things for the worse. You mess with your knowledge of it. And then you don't know what's going to happen. Things change up, switch."

"What do you mean?" He asks me.

"What I'm asking," I say hesitantly. "Is whether or not you speak up when you have a feeling something is going to happen, but you can't be sure. What you may think you know turns out to be wrong, and it costs you. Do you say something, when you can't be sure of the outcome?"

Shepard takes a long look at me, considering his words before speaking.

"As for what you're talking about... Something like that isn't actionable intel, and uncertainty could cause problems. Keep it to yourself, and act where you can." I nod a bit, before turning to the door. "This is all hypothetical, right?"

"Of course, Shepard." I say, without meeting his gaze.

* * *

"Alright everyone, let's go." I watch as Shepard loads his ground team for the initial drop. None of that for Liara or I, it seems. Gives me time to consider things.

Blood may be spilled without my intervention. I've treated the whole thing as though it was set to a script, but life, real life, is unpredictable. So I need to do what I can. Hopefully, it'll be enough.

It's eerie, listening to the comms as Shepard and Company make their way through the Geth between them and the STG team. They make good time, with their combined gunfire and Shepard's... 'Unconventional' driving style. Soon, They've arrived.

It's not long before Liara and I are called down to the ground, heavy armor repaired now, and I take a look at the camp. The ground team is fairly spread out, all looking at the beach where Shepard and Wrex are at a standoff. It looks tense, but as I move towards the Salarians, something agreeable must've been said, because they both make their way over. Shepard is quick to explain the STG Captain's plan, and makes up the teams, placing Ashley at the helm of the first group of Salarians, and Kaiden prepping the nuke. I get ready to help Shepard move out, but he stops me.

"I need you, Garrus, and Liara to investigate the labs." He tells me. "Saren has been working on some very secretive projects here, if the manifests the STG team found are anything to go on. I need the three of you to bring back anything that might help us, and document the rest on the helmet cams. Understood?" He addresses us. "Good. You'll make your move the same time we do. There aren't any maps of that part of the facility, so be careful. As soon as the AA towers are down, however, you move back to the ship, no matter what you find. Good luck."

Soon, the groups are divided, And we're set to move. I nod to Shepard as we head underground. The large cave structure the scans revealed offer a way in that would have far fewer defenders once the Salarians started knocking on the front door. The three of us had little trouble making it to the door, dispatching the Geth units with little trouble. In a moment, we line up against the wall. Garrus silently counts down and leads the breach inward into darkness. Flashlights are up in a breath, bathing the metallic corridor in light.

"Shadow, this is Recon. We're making our way into the facility proper now." Garrus reports.

"_Roger that, Recon. We're taking care of some Geth infrastructure out here, and will be inside soon. Report anything important you find. Shadow, out._" Shepard responds.

Garrus nods to me, and we move out.

* * *

(Shepard)

One last shotgun blast from Tali, and the Krogan doctor finally goes down. "This place is filled with madness." Wrex rumbles as he looks at the equipment. Considering the Salarians form earlier, I can't help but agree.

"Let's move." Moving through the room, I marvel at how well we work together, coming from people on the opposite ends of the spectrum. '_A thief and a warlord, as the Council would say._' The Geth troopers on the other side of the door don't stand a chance when faced with two shotguns, and we stack up beside the next one. Like a storm, we're through.

"You!" Wrex thunders. "Behind the desk. Come out, slowly, with your hands up!" Slowly, an Asari scientist comes into view, shaking a little.

"Please, don't kill me." She begs. I decide to take control of the conversation.

"Who are you?"

"Rana. Rana Thanoptis." She stammers out.

"What were you doing here?"

"Research." She starts. "I was hired by Saren, to study the effects of indoctrination."

"What did you find?" I ask.

"It's strange," She starts to explain. "The signal emanates from that ship, and from other objects related to it, but it's an organic signal. It's like an insistent whisper, one you're unable to ignore. Given enough time, you're a slave to it. doing what it commands of you." A chill runs through the group at this. "But it's far more dangerous than that."

"What do you mean?"

"It affected more than the test subjects." She says. "My first test subject was my predecessor. No known resistance has been shown, but it changes you. Some subjects we had here, they were fully under control, but utterly damaged, unable to function normally."

"Wait, you did that to the Salarians?" I ask, only to be cut off.

"You're sick!" Tali growls. "How could you do that to living people?"

"Like I had a choice!" Rana lashes back. "This isn't something you can exactly walk away from. I would've been the experiment instead." She sighs. "Look, Saren is worried. He's worried he's being indoctrinated too, but the level of control Sovereign has affects how much the host can function. Saren is still himself, but he has to make sure he's still needed in order to keep his sanity." Rana sighs. "Please, I just want to leave this place. You can have access to Saren's private lab." I consider it a moment, before telling her to run. The reaction is priceless, and I savor it a moment before continuing. We're into the lab in a moment, only to find something incredible.

* * *

"A beacon." Tali murmurs.

"Just like on Eden Prime." I hesitate approaching it a moment, steeling myself for what might happen. One more step, and I'm ensnared again.

_Death. On an unimaginable scale. Reapers, slaughtering everyone. But this time, clearer. A message, a sanctuary. But where?_

I fall to the ground, breathing hard. Tali and Wrex are at my side in a moment, lifting me up. "What did you see?" Wrex asks me.

"I'm still not sure.." I mutter, groaning a bit. "It's all jumbled." My thoughts are interrupted by Recon. "_Shadow squad come in._"

"Go Recon."

"_We've got some interesting stuff here, a lot of tech and research in the experimental_. _We also have a scientist who helped the STG get here_."

"Yeah, we've got our own breed of that up here. Retrieve what you can, and bring the scientist to the Normandy. Shadow, out." I look around, noting the console above us. "Let's go."

* * *

(Cory)

We move quickly down the corridor, moving inward through the facility. Geth crop up in ones and twos, but the distraction above is proving invaluable. Soon we reach an end to labyrinth of corridors and rooms. We enter, staring out at a multitude of workbenches, computer terminals, and various whiteboards. From our balcony, a lone Salarian spots us, setting down his Data-pad. "I've been expecting you."

"You have?" Liara asks him as we descend the stairs.

"Well," He starts. "Not you, specifically. But once I knew what Saren had in mind, people coming to stop it wouldn't be far behind. My name is Galin Moros. I'm the one who leaked information to the STG."

"Why?" He's pensive for a moment.

"I became afraid of what Saren's been trying to develop here." He turns his gaze from us. "I knew that the experiments here were morally questionable, but he was still a recognized Spectre then." I start to look over some of the equipment here as he continues. "Geth weaponry, shield tech, directed energy weapons research, cybernetic augmentation, it was a scientific dream." He says bitterly. " I was blinded by the possibilities, I didn't consider the reason for it all. The purpose."

"What purpose, Doctor?" Garrus asks as Liara reports in to Shepard.

"Please, I'm just a researcher." He mentions quickly. "And Saren is gearing up for some sort of attack. I don't get many details down here, but the word "Conduit" was mentioned several times by the lead scientists here."

"That's something I wanted to ask, Mr. Moros." I speak up, looking away from the turret design on the bench. '_Nine barrels bound in threes, rate of fire would be through the roof._' " Where are the other scientists? You can't manage a lab of this magnitude alone."

"Dead." He says quietly. "Saren traced the signal sent out back to the labs, and executed the entire staff. Revenge for the betrayal. I survived by using the tech I was working on." He pulls a small box off of his waist. "It's a stealth-field generator. very small battery, very unstable, but it hid me from sight as well as masked my heat signature. This was the first time I've gotten it to work." He adds as an afterthought.

I'm about to ask another question when one of the doors starts to spark along the top. Slowly, it drags downward. "They're cutting through the doors!" Garrus is the first to speak, moving back to take cover behind a bench. Liara and I follow suit as I drag Galin with me. He leans towards me a moment.

"Who are you people?" He asks me.

"We work with a Spectre, tasked with bringing Saren down."

"Is that so..." He's quiet as he considers his next move. "Take this." He mutters, pressing a small OSD into my hand. "Tell nobody you have it." I have no time to question this strange request, as Geth units burst through the door. I'm up and firing in that same instant. Left, six shots, stripping away the shield. Liara biotically grabs a hold of the vulnerable unit not a second later, flinging it into it's comrades. Overload bursts and rifle fire flies from Garrus's position as I continue my fire. before long, the lab is quiet.

"We need to get topside and report back." Garrus says as we come out of cover. I make a split-second decision, one that I knew I would come to question.

"Go." I tell him. "I'm gonna head forward, towards the AA towers. see if I can back them up."

"That's not our mission." Garrus says. "Our mission is to get this man back to the ship."

"Which is simple," I argue. "The way back is clear. But our guys are gonna need support."

"Well, you shouldn't go alone then." Liara speaks up. "I'll go with you." I shake my head.

"Go with Garrus."

"No way." She returns. "It's like you said, they way back is clear. Which means heading forward, you're gonna need help." I start to argue again, but she cuts me off. "You think I can't handle it?"

"I didn't say that." I respond, almost reaching up to rub my temples before realizing the futility. "Look... Fine, but we've got to get going." I turn to Garrus. "Are you good to get him back to the beach?"

He nods, uneasily. "For the record, I think this is a bad plan."

"Noted. Liara, let's move."

* * *

(Shepard)

My mind is reeling from what Sovereign told me. I'm only half in the fight, pressing forward to deactivate the AA tower. '_"A cycle." It said. One that has been going for longer than anything we know of. How do you stand up to something like that?_' Before long, Tali's shutting the gun down. "All teams, report."

"_Shadow, this is Recon._" Garrus reports in. "_I've moved the scientist to the beach. Bomb site reported hot, Normandy is here. Two of the three Salarian teams are present_. _Liara and Cory are en route to the AA towers to support._"

"Bomb site, report." I order. gunfire comes across the comms.

"_This is bomb site." _Kaiden reports. "_I got pinned down. Geth forces just keep coming. Bomb's ready to go, and assistance would be appreciated._"

"_Shadow, this is Aegohr team._" Ashley reports. "_AA gun two is down, but we're in trouble. Damn Geth have us in a crossfire, and we need assistance._"

"_Shadow, this is Epsilon._" Cory cuts in. "_We are close to tower two, and will assist Aegohr._"

"Roger that Epsilon. Shadow will move to the bomb site. Help's on the way everyone."

* * *

(Cory)

We make good time to the second tower, coming out of the elevator on the Geth's flank. We're quick to even the fight, and combined fire from both sides levels the remaining units. Ashley steps out and moves to greet us, when I feel it.

Sometimes, a sixth sense will kick in. In that heartbeat of time, I realize that something's headed for us at high speed. I have only a moment to shove Liara and myself into cover as biotic attacks rain down from above. I hear cries of agony as some of the Salarians are assaulted by the the warps, their atoms being shifted and torn apart. "Saren!" I call out, almost growling at the floating Turian.

"Hmm." He muses. "The Geth were convinced that the Salarians were the real threat. Clever." He looks at me. "You aren't Shepard, but I doubt he's far behind. Or has he left you for dead, so he can secure the bomb? It doesn't matter. This place has no value for me now."

"So Saren, you're just giving up the research?" I ask him, mostly to buy time as Ashley talks to Shepard. "You're not worried about becoming a thrall?"

"No." He says. "Sovereign needs me, needs my mind intact. I am trying to prove to him that we're important, that we deserve exemption."

"You fool." I say, and he flinches. "How long have they been doing this? Do you really think anyone will be spared? You've been indoctrinated!"

"No!" He shouts. "I am securing my specie's place. The Cycle is coming to an end, but my people will survive!"

"Listen to yourself! Sovereign is controlling everything you say or do. The only thing you are bringing is the extinction of your people!" I try against rational thought to convince him, but all I do is piss him off. I only have a moment to duck back down as he fires his rifle at my head. I respond in kind as we fight for our lives.

* * *

(Shepard)

We're running back towards the bombsite, only to be stopped by a sealed door. "Tali."

"On it!" She's quick to start overriding the lock as a voice comes over the comms channel.

"_Commander-_" Kaiden is quick to be cut off. " _Commander Shepard. This is Matriarch Benezia._"

"Kaiden?" I call. It's quiet a moment, and then my gut drops. A gunshot.

"No."

"_Commander, your teammate lies dead._" I'm short on breath, bile bubbling up my throat as the toneless voice continues. "_The others are face to face with Saren and will soon follow without help. The bomb is armed and can't be stopped now. Go, and save them._" All is quiet as I try to react to what just happened. Tali and Wrex are talking to someone on comms, but It's fuzzy as I try to process the fact that my friend is dead.

"Shepard!" I look at Tali as she's pulling my arm. "Shepard, I know how you're feeling but we've got to go. We need to get to Saren before it's too late." '_Grief. It affects us all in different ways. I need to bury mine, for just a little bit._' I start running too, hoping we're not too late.

* * *

(Ashley)

Things are looking bad. Aegohr team is dead or badly wounded, Saren's doing all he can to kill us, and we're running out of luck. I keep firing, and I watch as Saren dismounts his glider, only to start heading towards me. Crap.

I unload on him, dropping my assault rifle as he gets close, but he's just too fast. In a moment, he has me by the throat, and instinct drives my hands to his, trying to pry his fingers apart, when my brain lights ablaze from the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. I look down, staring at Saren's robotic arm, his claws buried deep in my gut. I choke and flail slightly as it feels like my insides are running out through my abdomen. Something must've run into him, because he drops me.

The damage is immediately apparent when I try to move, only getting blinding pain in response. What's so much worse, is the feeling of nothing from my legs. I force my focus upward, to Liara lying dazed in the ground and Cory doing his best to fight Saren weaponless, but Saren's biotics aren't making it a fair fight. Soon, Cory slams into the wall as Saren draws a shotgun. I can feel my hands going numb as my strength leaves them, but I do my best to aim my pistol in his general direction. I feel, rather than hear my pistol go off before I drop it. It seems to work, as Cory haves enough time to tackle him. My vision starts to spark, like little flash bulbs going off as it fades. I hear more gunfire, but it's far away. Quiet. My thoughts are sporadic as they become harder to hear. '_The one thing I could do to bring honor to my name, and it's probably classified. Oh well. No need to worry now. I'm sorry, Shepard._' Somebody is calling my name. Please, Lord. Forgive your humble servant.

* * *

**A/N: **It's been too long, obviously. I don't have a good excuse for it. I'm just a fuckup like that. But, no longer. I'm done fucking around, and this story will go back to update more than once a season, more than once a month. Hopefully, back to how it updated in the beginning. I'm so very sorry for letting it go this far guys. I don't blame you for being pissed. But I'm promising now that this story will come back!

This chapter... it isn't worth the wait, but it's simply a "More to come." Thank you all for coming this far with me. I appreciate it. While you're reading this, I'm updating the previous chapters, cleaning up my grammar and general unprofessionalism. As always, let me know what you think. Like it? Love it? Absolutely hate it and need to tell me how bad it is? Let me hear it! I'm always open to P.M., and, at the suggestion of a friend, I started a page on Face-Crap (Book). I check that site more than this one, so if you wanna get a hold of me, or whatever, you can. It's the same name as this story.

Thanks everyone. And thanks in particular to Food Ninja for giving me the kick in the ass I so desperately needed. And I do want to hear from the people who're actually happy about this. :3

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Did you miss me, you wankers?


	26. The Cost of Omission

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mass Effect, Fox, Quantic Dream, or a working car.**

* * *

Virmire, Hoc System,Sentry Omega Cluster.

* * *

I've never been one to fear my own mortality. I've dealt death in droves, but it's always been abstract; as though I watch it through somebody else's body. But now I witness it, wholly in the moment.

I watch as Saren dismounts his craft and lunges at Ashley. The shots I fire only bounce off of his barrier, and I can barely blink before he takes Ashley by the throat and rams his claws into her abdomen.

I feel underwater, pushing so hard to get towards them. I slam myself into him shoulder-first, sending us both tumbling. I'm up in an instant, knife out of it's sheathe and-

A hook to my face, Saren moving just a bit faster than I. Liara has the same idea, unleashing a biotic punch that Saren ducks under, uppercutting her and sending her tumbling. Our attacks become a deadly dance, both of us at a skill level that rarely clashes. I'm locked in this dangerous game as my movements become almost fluid, no thought going into it. But biotics win out as I lift up and away, Saren slamming me into the wall. The impact is enough to rattle me, and I look up to see Saren readying a Geth shotgun. The first blast tears at my shield, the second collapsing it and fragmenting against my armor. I see him charge up the third, and I steel myself for the impact.

Pistol shots ring out, some hitting Saren's barrier. Just a moment's distraction, and I'm up, drawing my remaining knife and bringing it into a downward thrust in one practiced motion, punching through the barrier and burying the blade in Saren's shoulder between the shoulder pad and torso. It's enough to make him drop the shotgun, and I hold onto the blade as he spins around, his biotic push knocking me away and ripping the blade free violently, blue blood spraying out as the arm goes limp. Saren's face is a mask of rage as he goes for his pistol, only to be stopped short.

Matthias comes around the corner in an instant, unleashing a hail of gunfire on Saren, supplemented by Wrex and Tali. Saren sprints for his hovercraft, flying away before the fire could knock his hasty barrier down.

He kneels beside me as Tali and Wrex sweep the area with their shotguns. I push him away almost at once, getting up and hobbling over to Ashley. Already the pool of blood was slowing. Her eyes are unfocused, her pulse... I pray that I simply can't feel it, instead of it not being there, but she's not breathing. I hear the Normandy roar overhead I apply pressure to her abdomen, and it's only a moment's hesitation before I reach in my hard case, drawing a boxy green syringe. I jab it into her neck, pressing the plunger down. Ten seconds.

"Cory." Shepard's on the other side of her, fingers pressed to her throat. "We've got to go. There isn't anything we can do." He says as I'm tossing the syringe away.

"Wait." I say quietly. Seven seconds.

"We have to go, now!" Shepard says, grabbing my arm. "She's gone. We need to go before the nuke blows!"

"Wait, Goddamnit!" I yell at him, pushing him away. Three seconds.

Exactly three seconds later, and just as I'm sure it's too late, Ashley's eyes snap open, and she starts to weakly gasp for breath, panic-stricken. Shepard looks at me in shock a moment before getting a hold of her under her shoulders as I get grab her legs, picking her up and rushing towards the open Cargo Bay doors. "Tali, get over here!" I yell, and she hustles over as Wrex helps Liara get up and moving. "Put as much pressure as you can on the wound, ok?" I tell her, and she nods, pressing her hands to the wound as we move.

* * *

Doctor Chakwas is waiting in the Cargo Bay as we come in, ushering us into the elevator as I rattle off what happened. The trip upwards feels even longer than usual as we dump all of the Medi-Gel we have on us into her as a holding measure. We arrive, rushing her into the Medical Bay. Chakwas stops us as we set her down onto the bed.

"You need to leave." She says firmly, ordering some of the crewmen inside.

"Why?" I demand from her.

"Because you three are filthy." She says plainly, and I look down at myself. "I will not have you contaminating my surgery." We shuffle out as Chakwas seals the Med-Bay, and draws the shutters. The rest of the ground team comes out of the elevator, looking at the closed door.

"Is she alive?" Liara asks, shaky. I nod slowly, as we sit down at the Mess table. A brief moment of quiet comes over us before Garrus notices something.

"Where's Kaiden?" He asks the table at large. I look at Shepard as he and Tali both look away. Wrex remains stoic, but his eyes give it away as well. Shepard shakes his head. "Spirits," Garrus mutters quietly, holding his head in his hands.

"Yeah, we're a bit in over our heads here." I say, face-down at the table. "Chasing a Spectre across the galaxy, with no actual support from the Council, and in our first real conflict with him we get our shit pushed in." I groan a bit. "Too late to object to our bosses, Shep?" I ask jokingly, but he doesn't return the amusement.

"If anybody wants to step away from this, I wouldn't blame you." He says solemnly. "Cory's right, and I'm not gonna lie to you; I'm in over my head here. But we've been entrusted with something bigger than any of us. We've been given a mission that very well may save the Galaxy. And I know I can't just walk away from that."

"Jeez, Matt." I grumble. "I only meant to say we need to blame everything on the Council. I wasn't saying we abandon this. Besides, anything I go to do after this will be boring." I add, getting a smile from Shepard.

"Wait until you hit my age, youngling. You'll have some stories to tell then." Wrex says to me.

"Somehow, I don't think I'll last that long Wrex." I say, only half-joking. Things quiet down a bit as the mood settles over us again, until I see Liara flinching a bit. "You okay?"

"Not sure." She responds. I stand up, coming over to her chair. She stands, and I check where she's holding her side. I press my hand against it gently, applying a small amount of force. When she only winces a bit, I move away.

"Probably bruised." I sum up. "Come on, I have some meds in my gear downstairs." I lead her into the elevator, Shepard joining us a moment before the doors close.

The trip down is muted, looking at the spilled blood on the elevator floor. The doors are barely open before we step out into the Cargo Bay. I go to my equipment, rifling through it until I find some extra Medi-Gel. Liara shifts to her under armor and Shepard starts talking to me as I apply it.

"Speaking of injuries, are you okay?" He asks me.

"I'm fine Shepard." I say, not looking at him. You're good to go." I say to Liara, and she nods, heading to her station to get changed. Shepard nods, suddenly throwing a punch to my side. The pain covers my face before I can hide it.

"You were wincing the same way Liara was." Shepard says, frowning a bit. "How many cracked ribs?" I look down before answering him.

"Two. Maybe Three."

"Uh huh." He nods. "Come on. Let's get this armor off. Unless you'd rather Tali helped you?" The dead-eyed look I give him does nothing to shake his shit-eating smirk.

* * *

We spend some time after I redress in silence, quietly wondering what went wrong. I know if I had said something, I could've changed things. _'Or both of them could have died.'_ A nagging, insistent voice tells me. _'You said what you knew, you'd never be able to explain it. You have a job to do. This is no game, sacrifices have to be made.'_ I press my hands to my eyes,willing the thought to go away. But it's still there.

"Kaiden once told me, nobody would get him to do something he didn't believe in." Shepard says aloud, bringing my head up with his words. "He was opinionated, idealistic, and believed that people, for all their sins and failures, could do the right thing. The military wasn't a fan of this line of thinking, but Kaiden proved himself too damn useful. But he wasn't a soldier." Shepard breathes heavily. "What I'm about to say stays between us Cory. No exceptions." I nod slowly.

"I didn't know what to do." I look at him, emotionless. "I knew when I heard that Saren was there, there was a good chance that I would have to stop, and assess priority. Try to save a large part of my squad, maybe only dying in the process and failing my mission, or going after the bomb site, saving one man, and securing the destruction of the facility. The choice was complicated," He continues. "Either route would have a bad ending. But Benezia intervened. The bomb was sure to detonate, Kaiden was gone, and I still had a chance. If I had to make the decision, I would've hesitated, which would've lost everybody.

"Kaiden spoke of art, meaning in design, emotion. Things that I respected, but had little meaning in combat. Ashley Williams saw defensive positioning, cynicism, and how far the council had their heads up their collective asses. And it might not have showed, but I like that in a woman." I chuckle a bit. "But then I had the mission to think about. The bomb, versus three of my teammates. More Geth arriving in the dozens. I had a hard choice, and I'm not sure I could've made it." Shepard swallows thickly.

"This day is something we're gonna dwell on." I start. "You could hear that you made the right decision a thousand times, but you'll never process it. Never really accept that without knowing what it was for, what it accomplished. Kaiden's parents may never understand either, and that is the terrifying price of battle. But I want you to consider this." I open my Omni-Tool, scrolling through until I find my pictures. "By saving me, you gave this little girl," I show him a picture of Letti. "More time with her father." I point to the elevator that Liara got in. " By saving her, you gave a budding young scientist a chance to explore the cosmos, and find the next biggest discovery since the relays. You also gave a chance for Ashley's family, her mother and sisters, to greet her like a hero when she comes home. Kaiden gave you a chance to do all of this, through his sacrifice. You said he didn't do anything he didn't believe in. Well, I'd like to think that he believed in his final moments that his death would mean our lives would be preserved. Another debt I'll never be able to repay. But one I'm going to honor by kicking the shit out of Saren, his Geth, and any damn giant robots that would stand to tear apart everything we live for." I declare. "Sound about right?"

Shepard smiles, only for a moment, and nods his head, closing his eyes. "I just hope it's within our wheelhouse." He shrugs uncharacteristically. "For now, we remember that we're not perfect."

"For now, we remember what it cost us. And when we stand on Sovereign's burning corpse, We'll close our eyes and thank Kaiden for the opportunity." I affirm, getting up and walking to the elevator. "I need to tell Chakwas to administer stage two."

"Stage two? What are you talking about?" I hesitate a moment, before walking back to the crates, extracting a syringe from my armor.

"The other secret of my success." I mutter, far more bitter than I intended. "A rather volatile mix of amphetamines, Cyclobenzaprine, an unpronounceable synthetic pain reliever often used on Elcor, a swarm of soldier Nanites, and some of the same boosters and regulators you find in the bloodstreams of Turian Spec-Ops. In the six times I've used this in my career, four of them saved my life, giving me an air of immortality amongst certain circles. But it's been luck, and a drug mix that's causes you to feel no pain, have so much energy you could beat a Krogan to death bare-handed, have so much control and discipline over your weaponry that you could place seven shots from a Lancer in the same exact place, and keep your body moving where nothing should be alive."

"Jesus." Shepard utters. "And the trade-off?" He asks me.

"Seizures, vomiting, heart problems, liver and kidney damage, nerve damage, and a complete breakdown of brain function without controlling it. To name the worst. Stage two," I continue. "Breaks down several of the chemical boosters, and sends a kill code to the Nanites, who, left unchecked, would attempt to rewrite your body structure. Nanomachines have been used for a fairly long time in the medical field, but never to the extent that I've used them. For good reason." I add. "They're unstable in large numbers,and are rarely allowed to actually live inside a body. The tech shoved into me was a prototype that would allow function on a level to rival Krogan regeneration." I shake my head. "If I had a choice, I'd forgo it. But it's hard-wired into my heart, my spine, and my brain."

"So those are what's killing you."

"Yes. Though far slower than the larger ones would, they're changing my body structure. Left uncompleted and unmonitored, I would slip into a coma and slowly die. The only alternative that would have any affect would require the same thing, without death. My body breaks down most of what's in those syringes, so I don't need stage two. But with the dose I took on Therum, I probably knocked my lifespan down a year."

"The more damage your body takes, the faster those bots change your structure." He surmises. I nod.

"It's funny, in a way." I continue. "I thought I'd be scared. Instead, it's given me purpose, freedom to do what I do best."

"What about Letti?" He asks, hitting my one weak point.

I shake my head a little. "Asari kids, they develop speech skills, motor function pretty fast. But she's gonna keep that child-like mentality for maybe 20 years. For now I'm a concept, a nice thing with no real meaning. Dad isn't going to mean much now, and by the time it does I'll be more mature, or dead." There's a pause, before I continue my trip to the elevator.

* * *

"Doctor." Chakwas looks up, motioning something to the woman in alliance fatigues next to her before approaching me. "How is she?" She looks past me.

"Shepard out there?" She asks me.

"Cargo bay." I answer her. "What's wrong?" She looks back at the medical bed, tubes winding around Ashley in an effort to keep her alive.

"Whatever you administered to her, it saved her life. But it's also making sure I cant do much farther to help." She frowns. "I assume it's tailored to yourself." Realization dawns on me as I nod. "This kind of make-up isn't meant to be used in others. It could kill her far worse than bleeding out would've."

"I didn't have many options." I grumble. "I had to try. That's why I brought you something that would stop the effects." She takes the syringe out of my hand.

"We can't stop the effects right now." She explains. "It's the only thing keeping her alive, and until we get to the Citadel, we won't have the equipment to help her." She looks around the med-bay. "This place is stocked to deal with the trauma of battle, gunshots, explosions, blunt and sharp-force trauma, but she was dead, Cory. Now her kidneys are failing due to damage, and we can't perform dialysis here. She's lost so much blood that it isn't producing properly. I've requested a mandatory donation of A-negative from the crew, But there's more." She looks back at Ashley, sighing. "Her spinal cord is damaged, and though we won't know until she wakes up, there's a chance she'll be paralyzed."

"Christ." I bow my head a little.

"Combine that with everything else... It's harsh to say, but she might've been better off if you left her down there." My head snaps up at this.

"What? And her family would be better off with a coffin? How could you say that?" Her face shows little emotion.

"Because I've seen more people like this than you have." The statement is simple, matter-of-fact. "Williams is a career soldier. Losing the ability to walk? Even if she makes it through this, She'll feel dead inside. And what does one family's suffering mean to you, Cory?" She asks me.

"A lot, when I have the chance to make things right." I turn, heading for the door.

"Wait." Chakwas catches up to me before I leave. "I need a favor."

"How so?"

"What I told you... Don't tell Shepard." I raise my eyebrows a bit. "He doesn't show it much, but he cares about Ashley. He'll learn soon enough. Better he grieves, and stays focused." I frown, but say nothing as I leave.

* * *

Shephard's outside as I walk into the now emptied Mess Hall. "How is she?" I pause a moment, considering my words.

"She's gonna live, man." I say quietly. "We just need to get to the Citadel."

"Good." He mutters, nodding. I look him over a bit.

"You should get some rest." I tell him. "Chakwas will inform you if her condition changes." Probably.

"Yeah, You're right. It's out of our hands now." I sigh a little.

"I hate that feeling."

"Me too." He brings up his Omni-Tool. "But there's good news. We found out where those files were going from the Cerberus outposts." He forwards me the information on his Omni-Tool. "What do you think?" I offer no response, looking over the personnel listings.

Francis Decker.

I knew him as Albert. But identities change.

People don't.

I'm coming Decker. Hell will follow.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm a bad person.

I'd like to thank everybody who's been patiently waiting for this story to go on. No more excuses for my laziness and bad luck.

More to follow.

_Artyom_


	27. The Old Hunters

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mass Effect, Bioware, Washington D.C., Knights Armament Company, or a life.**

* * *

**A/N: ...**

* * *

_February 24th, 2183. 8 P.M._

_Normandy SR-1, en-route to the Citadel._

"Cory."

"Huh." I reply, not looking up right away.

"What do you think?"

"Oh, um.. Detailed. Location, staffing, building layout. Almost too detailed."

"Like somebody wanted us to know all of this." Shepard says, matching my thoughts.

"Maybe." I say, rubbing my eyes. "Truth be told, I don't have the energy to ponder this. Let's get some rest." He nods, and we go our separate ways.

* * *

(Tali)

The feeling of loss permeates the ship. Engineering is devoid of the usual cheer, jokes, and chatter that echoes through it when they aren't on their so-called "Inspection behavior". It isn't long before I leave, energy drained. I'm making my way to the elevator when I see them.

Cory and Garrus are at Ashley's workstation, heads bowed as music echoes throughout the Cargo Bay.

_"... Their tears are filling up their glasses,_

_No expression,_

_No expression._

_Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow,_

_No tomorrow,_

_No tomorrow."_

The somber tone continues as I stand next to Cory, his head tilting up to look at me briefly. I take note of the pictures on the bench; one of Kaiden in the mess making a face at Shepard, the other showing a younger Ashley in Alliance fatigues, standing proud next to some younger Human girls. _'Her sisters'_. I bow my head as the song continues, the vigil lasting for a few minutes after the music ends. Slowly, Cory raises his head and walks to the elevator, Garrus and myself close behind. The descent is quiet, save for Garrus looking from me to Cory, and then back.

Regardless of the odd behavior, we return to our respective rooms without conversation. I sit opposite Cory as he starts untying his boots, kicking them off with little care for where they land. I look to the leather bracer laying on my nightstand. "Cory?"

"Hmm?" He mumbles, looking at me.

"I've been meaning to ask... Why did you leave that with me?" I ask, motioning towards it.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention." He says, undoing the two silver bracers on his arms before removing his jacket. "I want you to have it, and learn how to use it."

"Oh. Why?"

"It's served me well over the years, and I think that with practice, You'll come to master it too. It's close-quarters abilities are unparalleled." He says, an almost salesman-like tone in his voice.

"Well, that would hold true... If it fit." I bring up, and he frowns.

"True." He yawns quietly. "We'll figure it out tomorrow. Should be at the Citadel by morning. Goodnight, Tali." He adds.

"Goodnight."

* * *

I come to, soft music playing in the room. Something instrumental, relaxed. Good thing Cory seems to also enjoy sleeping with background noise. Trying to sleep with the quiet was maddening.

But I'm the only one who's rest was peaceful. I see him shifting about, an expression of terror and pain on his face. I want to wake him, but he lurches up before I have a chance, chest heaving a bit. He scans the room a bit, still half-asleep. He squeezes his eyes shut, his breathing slowing down. He shifts into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes as I sit up. "Morning."

"Morning," I reply tentatively. "Are you okay?"

"Nothing out of the usual," He mumbles, Checking his Omni-Tool. "We should be at the Citadel now. Shepard's at Huerta Memorial," He adds, scrolling through something. "We're gonna be here for a while, while he speaks with the Alliance and the Council. Political BS, in his words." He says with a smile. "Hmm, I know. Tali, You want to start using that bracer, yeah?" I nod. "Then we'll head to my friend Granith. He'll be able to fit it properly while I check over my gear. After that we could visit Ashley. Sound good?"

"Hmm," I consider it. "Okay, that could work. It would be nice to be able to walk around the Citadel without getting harassed."

"Pffft." He blurts out. "Only reason I'm bringing you along is so I have a bodyguard. You intimidate people." I snort a bit before I'm able to get it under control.

"Yeah, of course. This isn't going to end horribly. Not at all."

* * *

"Shit." Cory mutters, looking at the C-Sec holo-banner in front of the store. "What happened here?" He addresses an officer standing by a Sky-Car.

"Attempted robbery." The Turian woman replies.

"Granith okay?" He asks.

"The Krogan? He's fine. Couldn't say the same about the thief," She motions toward the ambulance, a body bag being loaded into it. "You a friend?"

"Yeah." Cory replies. "Can we head in?"

"Sure, we're just about done here." She looks away a moment before taking a closer look at Cory. "Wait," She stops him. "Do I know you from somewhere?" He looks vaguely nervous as she squints at him, and then something clicks as her eyes widen. Just as I'm sure she's reaching for her sidearm she- squeals?

Alarm bells ring in my head as the woman grabs something from inside the patrol vehicle. "Wow, I can't believe it's you!" She says to him. "Umm.. Could you sign this?" She asks him, holding up a piece of armor. "I'm a big fan of your music." Music? He takes the moment in stride, smiling and scribbling something down on the inside with a marker. "Thanks!" She says cheerfully, moving to place the gear back in the vehicle as Cory moves toward the store.

"What in the name of the Ancestors was that about?" I ask him as I catch up.

"I'll never tell." He chuckles, stepping past a leaving officer. Scorch marks adorn the left wall and floor, a stench lingering in the display room. A masked salarian scrubs at the wall as another is busy typing something at a terminal on a desk. "Hey guys. Granith in the back?" The man at the terminal nods, readjusting the chemical mask. We walk to the back of the store, stepping down into a small workshop.

"What's that smell?" I ask Cory as a Krogan stands from his workbench.

"Burnt flesh." The man answers, shaking Cory's hand as I switch off my olfactory sensors, trying hard not to gag. "Little Pyjak, should've known better than to try to steal from a weaponsmith. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need access to my backup gear, grab some replacement parts. My friend here," He gestures to me as I try to recover. "Needs a bracer refitted." I hand Granith the item in question, and he gives Cory a strange look, but takes it to his bench.

"This, it won't take too long. But your gear is the warehouse, I didn't have much space here. I'll send for it, though. should be here in about 45 minutes."

"Good man." Cory says. "Are you okay staying here?" He asks me. "I need to take care of some things, but Granith will take good care of you, right?" He adds, addressing the man.

"Of course." He says, waving him off.

He nods, stepping back into the front before I can say anything to counter. Granith motions for me to sit.

"So, you're the one wielding this now?" Is the first thing he asks me.

"I suppose so." I say uneasily, sitting down.

"Hmph." He takes hold of my arm, slipping the bracer on, and proceeds to take measurements. I fidget a bit, but none of the movements are aggressive or rough. He types down the numbers on a pad, looking back and forth at my arm and his measurements. "Cory is a strange human." He says quietly after several minutes.

"Hmm?"

He looks up at me. "This bracer," He holds it and the attached arm up slightly. "Is synonymous with his name. I believe his words on the matter were 'From my cold, dead hands.' when I asked him if he wanted me to take it and get something more advanced... And here you are, in possession of it."

"Is it really that special?" He considers it.

"He didn't give you something like this as a random gesture. In the old Krogan culture, A weapon that is so stained with blood, is only given to your child to bear in their Rite and beyond, or..." He trails off.

"Rite?" I ask him, and he focuses again.

"The Rite of Passage." He says. "Proof that a Krogan is strong enough to survive, and live among his clan. Either that, or a partner." I stiffen a bit, and he continues. "Not like that. A hunting partner, back when Krogans were not bound by clans and warfare. My grandfather spoke of it fondly, a time where you could live off the land comfortably. I was young then, I didn't appreciate what that was. By the time I took my Rite, the Krogan were already embroiled in our endless wars.

"Anyways, the old hunters would have a partner, someone they trusted with their life. A weapon or tool with great meaning would be given to this partner, and by accepting it, the pact was sealed. They would defend each other with their dying breaths." He takes in a breath, and something catches my attention.

"Granith," I start. "The way you speak of these things... How old are you?"

"Old enough to remember what Quarians look like." He shrugs a bit. "Old enough to remember a time before the Salarians found us, when our world was coated in irradiated ash. Most Krogan will tell you of the Rachni War, and the Betrayal. But they forget that we wanted more than we earned. That for our brutality and violence we were chosen to fight their war. We weren't ready for that amount of power; we hadn't learned from our mistakes. And we still refuse to.

"Okay, that should do it." He says, removing the bracer from my arm. "I'll get this re-adjusted to the measurements I took. Won't be long. I hope you'll forgive my rambling, Tali'Zorah."

"It was quite interesting, actually." I say honestly.

"Hmm. Well, in any case, I may just be and old man romanticizing an old weapon, and the gesture doesn't mean much. I'm less sure about Human culture, but I know they're closer aligned with us than anyone the Council recognizes as people." The statement is strange, but he doesn't offer any further explanation. "You should go and find Cory." He says suddenly.

"Why?"

"He should be on Bachjret, 221st and Saema." He replies, not answering my question. He turns his back to me, setting the bracer down on the counter. With little else to do, I follow the idea and head out of the store to Rapid Transit.

* * *

The first thing I take notice of when I step out is the dinginess of the area. The Citadel is a gleaming metropolis, but this area of the industrial-heavy Ward feels... Neglected, ignored by those on the presidium. As I near the address Granith gave me, I realize there's no businesses here, or residences. Only storage facilities, with large lift gates and security doors. It's behind one of these doors that I hear something, the chatter of several high-pitched voices.

I'm standing too close to it, as I jump away when it swings open, revealing Cory's surprised face. "Tali. The hell are you doing here?" He asks me, quickly shutting the door behind him.

"Granith sent me." I reply. "What are you doing here?"

"Friggen turtle..." He grumbles. "Always has to mess with me." I'm about to ask him again, when the door opens a crack.

"Cory?" A small, blonde-haired Human boy inquires, poking his head out. "Who's this?" Cory freezes a moment, then recovers.

"This is Tali, a friend of mine. Tali," He addresses me hesitantly. "This is Graham."

"Hi!" The boy waves to me. "Come on in." The boy disappears behind it, and I follow him, an uncomfortable look in Cory's eyes as I step inside.

I'm greeted by a sight that gets sadder the more I look. More than a dozen children, Humans, Asari, and one Turian, none older than 16, are gathered around in the dimly-lit storage room, eating and passing the time however they can. I look at the dolly and crates stacked next to the door, and back to Cory. His eyes are focused on one of the girls, a Human who couldn't be but six or seven.

"These kids." Cory begins. "Were cursed from the start. Broken homes, parents who either died, or didn't care about their kids. Some of them, they were born here or moved with their parents. When they end up alone, C-Sec won't let them stay. Either they're placed back on the homeworlds, or end up in the worst parts of the Galaxy. They end up in the hands of monsters, the kind of places where death is a mercy. And even if they end up back on the homeworlds, life is a nightmare. If they end up in the system on Earth, their fates are sealed. Violence and vice get their hooks in, almost every time. It isn't much better on Thessia, and for that boy," He points to the Turian boy. "It means a life of military service, payment for his care. The kid doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body." He shakes his head a bit.

"So, these kids stay hidden on the Citadel?" I ask.

"Well, they slip through the cracks, ending up in places like these." He looks around. "The conditions aren't great, but they're better off here then living the same life elsewhere. Even the poor on the Citadel don't do too badly. For the most part, they go ignored, performing odd jobs and gathering information."

"Information?"

"Yeah, gutter kids don't attract too much attention. Means they can hear things other don't. They exchange this with certain people around the Citadel. Criminals, mostly. The irony of this is that most legitimate information brokers try to exploit these kids. The "bad guys" like myself have been straightforward with them."

"So the food crates, the medicine. Payment?" He shakes his head.

"I've been giving them that, regardless of what they can or can't provide. Keeps them from getting desperate. There are over 20 camps similar to this, scattered throughout the Wards. this one is pretty average. The older kids do their best to teach the younger ones how to read, type, how to present themselves for when they eventually get beyond this kind of life."

"Ancestors, how could the Council just ignore this sort of thing?"

"You and I both know the Council is very good at ignoring anything that might put a smudge on their perfect, shiny world. " He says bitterly. "This is just standard for them. A few people around here help out when they can. A nearby Human-run clinic checks up on them, keeps them pretty healthy. There's a Salarian professor from Tayseri Ward that gives the older ones teaching supplies, text-pads of every subject. A few others here and there. It's not much, but better than them burying their heads."

"How do I know you persuaded them on those matters?" I ask him wryly.

"I just opened their eyes. They volunteered to help once they knew the extent of the problem." He waves to a few of the kids, before heading outside, motioning for me to follow.

"I didn't know you cared this much." I tell him as we walk back to Rapid Transit.

"They strike a cord with me." He says quietly, calling up a cab.

"Who was that girl you kept looking back at, the one with the brown hair?" A dark look crosses his face.

"You really wanna know?" I nod. "That was Millie."

"But who is she?" He doesn't speak right away, ushering me into the now-waiting sky-car. We set the destination back to Tuchanka Arms, and Cory activates his Omni-Tool, scanning the car. Seemingly satisfied with the results, he begins.

"Two years ago, I was on contract here on the Citadel. A Sand dealer was expanding, taking profits out of her rival's market. Job came in to make an example of her. I didn't think of it much then, just a dealer taking out another." He leans into his seat, closing his eyes. "I kept going over that night in my head, wondering if I could've noticed something, acted differently. Not that it matters now.

"When I started doing this, I appraised every job; who I was after, who wanted it done, whether they deserved it. Passed up a good amount of work because it felt off. As time passed, I just took the word of my handler."

"Handler?" I ask.

"The jobs were all routed through the Shadow Broker and his people." He explains. "I was recruited directly, but the jobs after that were through an agent. The Shadow Broker is only hands on with things that are critical to his business. Or that could net him a lot of money.

"So, I stopped looking into my jobs as much. planned out the attack, prepped for it, but I stopped asking why. Went to her apartment unarmed, posed as a junkie looking for a hit. Something I did or said spooks her last second, because she pulls a shotgun and tells me to get out. I push it up and away, and she fires it into the ceiling as I tackle her. I knock it away, but she struggles to grab it again. I get my arms around her head from behind as she gets a grip on it, and I jerk. It takes me a few moments to realize someone was looking at me from the door to the bedroom."

"Millie." My heart clenches.

"No," He says. "Her sister, Angelica. Fourteen at the time. Sees me hunched over her mom, goes for the shotgun. I bolt, and she couldn't get a shot off by the time I'd made it to the stairs. She was half-asleep, but I figured I was done. No favor I'd earned with the Council would erase an eyewitness. They'd finally have a bulletproof case, and I wasn't going to kill a kid."

"So what happened?"

"It went unsolved. Whatever description she gave of the junkie that murdered her mom, it wasn't close to me, or C-Sec didn't look too hard for the murderer of a dealer. The girls didn't have other family, so they eventually slipped through the cracks. Angelica shacked up with some piece of shit dealer, same guy who wanted their mom dead. He ended up getting her hooked on pharmaceuticals. Didn't matter to her, as long as Millie was safe.

"But she wasn't. Angelica overdosed on pills about a year ago, and the asshole tossed Millie to the street crowd. She's been here ever since. When I found out, I started keeping tabs on her. Made sure she was looked after, the others too." He exhales deeply, head in his hands a moment before he continues.

"I tore that family apart, for a guy who used and abused the scattered pieces. Let me tell you something, Tali. For all this galaxy holds, Humans are the most pointlessly cruel of the bunch. Krogan may strike down their enemies as a show of strength. Turians will strike down their enemies to instill order. Batarians will beat their slaves to show dominance. But Humans? They'll kill for almost no reason at all."

"What happened to the dealer?"

"What always happens to his kind." He doesn't deliberate further, and makes to get out as soon as the sky-car touches down.

"Wait." He hesitates, looking back at me. "Why tell me all of this? What am I meant to think of it?" I ask him.

"Why? Because you asked." He exits the car, motioning for me to do the same. We start walking back to Granith's as he continues. "Nobody's ever tried to figure it out. I don't really have reason to lie to you, and I lie to most everyone." He chuckles a moment, before continuing. " Think of it what you will. And if you're gonna turn me in, at least wait until we finish our work. there's still some good I can do." It was the furthest thing from my mind until he says it aloud, but I can understand the concern. "Do you think of me as evil?" He asks suddenly.

_'Evil?' _I think of what he's done, the killing, the darkness that surrounds his being... And I see the kindness; Feeding starving children, working so hard to save Ashley, a person he thoroughly disliked. Risking himself to protect me not once, but several times, twice when he didn't even know me. Even if he stood to gain from these things... No, not evil.

"You don't have to say anything." He says, making me realize I went silent for the remainder of the trip there. "My sins will catch up to me, eventually. When the time comes, I'll walk with the Reaper in silence." We walk in, the statement hanging over us.

Most of the clean-up is complete, enough so that the smell has mostly dissipated. The shop workers now busy themselves with making sure the shop is ready to operate again, powering up the adverts and raising the window shutters. Granith waves us into the back, pointing towards the wall whilst he motions for me to sit. Placed against the wall are three crates, the first of which is wider and shorter than the others. "You're an asshole, old man." The Krogan just chuckles as Cory goes to the crates.

Granith fits the leather bracer to my arm again."You should be good to go." He tells me. I flex experimentally, the blade shooting out between my fingers. I look at the flat of it, reading the inscription.

_"Work in darkness, to serve the light."_

* * *

**A/N:** Hey everyone. Next chapter is about done, and will go up soon.

Two years now. When I started this story, I was in a shitty place in my life. Writing this put me back on the right track. So, thank you everyone who's stuck by it so far, and my thanks to those of you who messaged me and made this story better than I could on my own. Supporting myself has been a time-consuming experience, to say the least, but I'm still here, still writing when I can. With luck, that'll never change.

_Cheers, Artyom._


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